ABILENE, TX, USA
N12700
NORTH AMERICAN P-51D
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT BEGAN HIS AIR SHOW ROUTINE WITH A LOW PASS DOWN THE RUNWAY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. HE THEN MADE A CLIMBING TURN TO A CLOSE-IN DOWNWIND LEG. AT THE END OF THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN AT WHAT WAS REPORTED TO BE A SLOWER THAT NORMAL SPEED. AFTER ABOUT 90 DEGREES OF TURN, THE ANGLE OF BANK INCREASED RAPIDLY, THE NOSE DROPPED, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP DESCENT. A WITNESS REPORTED THE ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER; HOWEVER, THIS COULD NOT BE SUBSTANTIATED. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 4500 FT.
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHILE MANEUVERING AFTER A LOW PASS, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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