Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Wittman Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902
Friday, July 27, 2007 15:19 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
An amateur-built P-51A Mustang (call sign "Precious Metal") collided with the tail section of a North American P-51D Mustang (call sign "Stang") as it was landing on runway 36 during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2007 Oshkosh (OSH) air show. The airplanes were part of a five-aircraft air race demonstration event. The demonstration air race was completed and the five aircraft were in the process of landing separately (not in formation). The pilot of Stang reported that he thought the pilot of Precious Metal was departing the pattern and not landing at OSH. He reported that Stang was about two miles past the runway threshold on downwind at 700 - 800 feet agl, when he observed Precious Metal on a base leg about 1,000 feet agl on a southwesterly heading with its gear and flaps retracted. Stang turned inbound for landing on runway 36. Precious Metal turned inbound for landing behind Stang and transmitted "Precious Metal, one mile final," but Stang did not hear the transmission. The airplanes collided as Stang started its landing roll. Interviews with the air race demonstration pilots revealed there was confusion concerning the information discussed in the team brief prior to the race. The team representative reported that he briefed that Stang should land first, but two of the race pilots reported that they did not hear that discussed in the brief. Also, the team representative briefed that Precious Metal intended to land, refuel, take on a passenger, and then depart OSH for another nearby airport. The FAA had "waivered" the airspace, which made the air show Air Boss responsible for the air show operations, but he was not responsible for providing aircraft separation. The Air Boss did not observe the two P-51's on short final, because his attention was on an airplane taxiing near the air show center. The air traffic control tower was not in operation during the air show because the airspace was waivered, and the Air Boss was responsible for air/ground radio communications with the airplanes. No warning was given to the pilots concerning the lack of separation between the airplanes. Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) 91.113 (g) Right-of-Way Rules state: "When two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right-of-way, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final approach to land or to overtake that aircraft."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The P-51A pilot's inadequate visual lookout and his failure to maintain clearance from the P-51D. Contributing factors to the accident included the restricted forward visibility of the P-51A, the air race team representative's inadequate flight brief, the failure of the air boss to recognize the lack of separation between the airplanes on short final, and the diminished air/ground radio communications during the air show.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/27/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1519 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Oshkosh |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 54902 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 435803N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0883324W |
| Event Location Airport | Wittman Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OSH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 808 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1532 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OSH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 808 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.88 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23808 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 27 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2008 11:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration - MKE FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8082U | N151RJ |
| NTSB Number | CHI07FA243A | CHI07FA243B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | No |
| Damage | Destroyed | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beck | North American |
| Aircraft Model | P-51A | P-51D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 311 | 44-74404 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7870 | 10500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2007 12:00AM | Jun 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 41 | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 128 | 628 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Gerald S Beck | Robert and Donna Odegaard Family LTD LLP II |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1251 Pegasus Road | 16110 55th St. SE |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wahpeton | Kindred |
| Aircraft Owner State | ND | ND |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 58075 | 58051 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes | No |
| Operator Name | -- | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | -- | -- |
| Operator State | -- | -- |
| Operator Country | -- | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- | -- |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Air Race/Show | Air Race/Show |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | OSH | OSH |
| Departure City | Oshkosh | Oshkosh |
| Departure State | WI | WI |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | -- | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | OSH | OSH |
| Destination City | -- | -- |
| Destination State | -- | -- |
| Destination Country | -- | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 13 2008 5:21PM | Jun 13 2008 5:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | BOWL | BOWL |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36L | 36L |
| Runway Length | 8002 | 8002 |
| Runway Width | 150 | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |