The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB’s) preliminary report on the May 12 crash of a North American F-51D Mustang in Mound, Louisiana, found no evidence of a mechanical failure and indicates the aircraft was producing power when it struck the ground during an aerobatic practice flight.
The accident killed pilot Dan Fordice, the sole occupant of the vintage warbird. The Mustang, N251CS, was destroyed in the crash at Vicksburg Tallulah Regional Airport (TVR).
According to the report, Fordice was practicing inside an FAA-approved aerobatic box west of Runway 18/36 when he completed his planned routine and began an additional maneuver. Witnesses and a cellphone video reviewed by investigators showed the aircraft entering what appeared to be a Split-S maneuver.
The video captured the Mustang climbing before rolling inverted and descending into a steep dive. Investigators said the aircraft continued toward the ground in a nose-low attitude before beginning a right bank just moments before impact. Witnesses reported hearing the engine running normally throughout the maneuver, and the engine can be heard on the video until the moment of impact.
The Mustang struck a drainage embankment about 450 feet west of the runway. Investigators described impact evidence consistent with a high-speed collision in a nearly level nose attitude with the right wing low. The wreckage path extended approximately 920 feet and scattered major components across the airport property.
An examination of the wreckage found no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. Flight-control continuity was confirmed, and cable separations were consistent with overload forces generated during the crash sequence. Investigators also noted that all four propeller blades exhibited damage and S-bending consistent with engine power being produced at impact.
While both wing fuel bladders were found breached and empty, fuel staining was present throughout portions of the debris field, suggesting fuel was onboard at the time of the accident.
The engine separated from the airframe during the crash sequence, while the cockpit and fuselage came to rest more than 500 feet from the initial impact point.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the NTSB recovered a Garmin GI 275 flight instrument and Garmin GTN 650 navigator capable of recording data. Those units, along with the witness video, have been sent to the agency’s Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for further analysis.
The investigation remains ongoing. The NTSB has not yet determined a probable cause for the accident.
