CAF Red Tail Mustang Crashes

[MIflyer]

From Avweb, the CAF's Red Tail Mustang had a "runway excursion" at Tallahassee on 4 Nov. It was on a flight to get the pilot current in the airplane. Looks to be easily fixabale.

 

[ARTESH]

Is pilot ok?

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Relief that the airframe is apparently safe. Here's hoping the pilot is as well.

 

[MIflyer]

I suspect we will see it at American Aero in New Smyra Beach, like the one from the Collins Foundation, pictured below.

 

[ODonovan]

I heard he just bent one gear a bit and touched a wingtip to the ground. Notice the prop isn't even seriously damaged. AvWeb says it should be flying again by April or possibly sooner. Hardly a "crash."


-Irish

 

[MIflyer]

There was a homebuilt floatplane that was using the water next to our airport and ended up tearing off one float and the airplane sinking. They called it a "hard landing."

 

[N4521U]

There was a homebuilt floatplane that was using the water next to our airport and ended up tearing off one float and the airplane sinking. They called it a "hard landing."

Or a Wheels DOWN landing!!!!!

 

[jimh]

it was supposed to be in Akron this summer with the Tuskegee display trailer, they used P-51 Swamp Fox instead. Not sure where it went to get rebuilt, maybe Aircorps Aviation (again, after the 2015) incident. It's been really hush hush. At a minimum you are looking at new or overhauled prop, an engine tear down, and whatever sheet metal got bent. If it was ground looped, or even a landing gear failure there is a good probability the gear trunnion could have been damaged. Any way you look at it, it's not a quickie rebuild.

jim

 

[jimh]

From Instagram, she's at Aircorps, lots of work on the left wing.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Thanks for the update Jim!!!

 

[MIflyer]

Any way you look at it, it's not a quickie rebuild.

What? Not just slap on some Bondo?

We had a Cirrus SR-22 land at our airport last week for some avionics upgrades. The pilot decided to do some touch and goes before dropping his airplane off at the radio shop. Then he hit a runway sign. One tip of the prop got curled back, although not the other one. There was a hole knocked in one wing and a flap was dented. They hauled the prop off for repair (I doubt it will be salvageable) and now are trying to figure out if it is Okay to ferry it somewhere after they get the prop replaced. And that was a "simple, little, mishap"; the P-51 CRASH was much worse.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

What? Not just slap on some Bondo?

We had a Cirrus SR-22 land at our airport last week for some avionics upgrades. The pilot decided to do some touch and goes before dropping his airplane off at the radio shop. Then he hit a runway sign. One tip of the prop got curled back, although not the other one. There was a hole knocked in one wing and a flap was dented. They hauled the prop off for repair (I doubt it will be salvageable) and now are trying to figure out if it is Okay to ferry it somewhere after they get the prop replaced. And that was a "simple, little, mishap"; the P-51 CRASH was much worse.

I worked on SR20s - unless things have changed at Cirrus (and I doubt they have) any airframe repair has to be done at one of their recognized facilities or if an individual does the repair they have had to gone through the Cirrus FAM course. The engine requires a teardown.

 

[N4521U]

The engine requires a teardown.

I thought any prop stoke required an engine teardown? Is this correct? Every time a video comes up showing a wheels up landing the prop is always spinning! Is it frivolous to think the engine should be cycled until the prop is Flat or third blade straight up? My instructor had me Glide in as an exercise for this possibility.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I thought any prop stoke required an engine teardown? Is this correct? Every time a video comes up showing a wheels up landing the prop is always spinning! Is it frivolous to think the engine should be cycled until the prop is Flat or third blade straight up? My instructor had me Glide in as an exercise for this possibility.

It does (as I stated) although only Lycoming has a service bulletin that is tied to an airworthiness directive, Continental doesn't, although the Continental SB is "Mandatory." Even if the prop is stationary and the prop takes a hard impact, that will also constitute a teardown.

I've run into many people who fly with Continental engines and have tried to argue this. A few ways to look at this - keep flying and if you have an engine failure not only are you risking your life (and passengers) but your insurance may not cover you. There's also a chance the Feds may look at ignoring the SB, even though it is not mandatory, as purposely ignoring continual maintenance instructions from the manufacturer.

 

[MIflyer]

About 20 years ago Continental did put out a service bulletin to the effect that stopping their engines by running the prop into something was a bad idea.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

About 20 years ago Continental did put out a service bulletin to the effect that stopping their engines by running the prop into something was a bad idea.

A little bit more than that. SB96-11B been around since 1996, there was an older one released as well.

 

[MIflyer]

I worked on SR20s - unless things have changed at Cirrus (and I doubt they have) any airframe repair has to be done at one of their recognized facilities or if an individual does the repair they have had to gone through the Cirrus FAM course. The engine requires a teardown.

I just looked at it, having seen only the bent prop after the mishap occurred. It's much worse than I thought. The Left flap is bent, that hole in the wing is huge, and the leading edge is split. The Left MLG fairing got torn up, too. And it rained last night and is raining right now, so it's filing up with water.

You think anyone would be willing to ferry that thing?

So sad to see this happen to a brand new airplane on one of its first flights with its new owner.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I just looked at it, having seen only the bent prop after the mishap occurred. It's much worse than I thought. The Left flap is bent, that hole in the wing is huge, and the leading edge is split. The Left MLG fairing got torn up, too. And it rained last night and is raining right now, so it's filing up with water.

You think anyone would be willing to ferry that thing?

So sad to see this happen to a brand new airplane on one of its first flights with its new owner.

Well before anyone can LEAGALLY ferry this aircraft, the owner operator along with an A&P would have to apply for a ferry permit. The A&P would have to certify that he/she inspected the aircraft and "it is in a condition safe for flight." The hole in the wing would have to be inspected to see if it's beyond repair limits, from what I can see, it looks like it is. Considering this damage and the prop strike, I wouldn't sign off a ferry permit, even if the engine had a clean crankshaft flange runout check, made power and compression - it's all just too risky!

My 2 cents!

 

[special ed]

Even with 600mph tape taped over the hole? Remember, duct tape and a hammer!