P-51 Crash - Oshkosh...

[BlackWolf3945]

It's been a bad month for airshows in North America...

A P-51D named 'Donna Mite' participating in the show at Oshkosh crashed on Tuesday, killing the pilot/owner Dick James. I was fortunate enough to have met this man on two occasions and although I do not claim to have 'known' him beyond those meetings, I still feel a loss. He was an exceptionally nice fella from what I recall...

Link with video of the crash site...

http://nbc15.madison.com/news/headlines/1738872.html


I do a 'Picture of the Day' on a few other forums and recently moved it to a web page. Today's installment is a simple tribute to Dick James and his pride and joy...

EDIT: Since the POTD changes, I'll post the pic here...

Fade to Black...

 

[Nonskimmer]

Damn. Too bad.

 

[plan_D]

A sad loss.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

This is from a Milwaukee newspaper

Vintage WWII Plane Crashes, Kills Pilot

POSTED: 8:33 pm CDT July 26, 2005
UPDATED: 8:49 pm CDT July 26, 2005

FOND DU LAC, Wis. -- A vintage World War II fighter plane crashed in a farmer's field northeast of Fond du Lac Tuesday, killing the pilot, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Department said.

Police said the pilot was flying a North American P51-D Warbird with a group when he went down at about 4 p.m.

Sheriff Gary Pucker said the pilots in the other planes weren't aware of the trouble the plane was in and flew on, assuming their colleague made a soft landing.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Ed Malinowski said it appeared from the crash site that the pilot didn't try to land the plane.

The Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture fly-in and convention is taking place 20 miles north of the crash site in Oshkosh.

The crashed plane was registered with the EAA. It is owned by someone in northern Wisconsin, but officials aren't saying yet whether the owner was the pilot

 

[evangilder]

Damn. I hate to see that happen.

 

[Gnomey]

Shame, a sad loss

 

[lesofprimus]

Real sad...

 

[cheddar cheese]

Terrible shame.

 

[IFlyEm]

A friend of mine was on his way up to Oshkosh and saw the P-51 moments before the accident. He was driving so he couldnt see the whole thing. He knew that something wasnt right when he saw the Mustang pull straight up out of the formation. Very sad loss.

 

[trackend]

That's truly terrible the plane loss was bad but it was just a machine the guy was irreplaceable and unique

 

[Humble_One]

So sorry to hear it. The big question is, was he prepared to stand before God. Death can come without notice, and the Bible says, "It is appointed unto man to die once, and after this the judgement". Where do you stand in your relationship with your maker. JESUS SAID, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE". Make your eternity sure by calling on Him now, as you read this. He will forgive and save you. Tomorrow may be the day your plane goes down once and for all.

 

[plan_D]

I'm sorry, can you say that again I stopped reading at "...and the Bible says..."

 

[Medvedya]

Yeah that's great - turn a tragic event into a religious soundbite.

Very Christian.

 

[plan_D]

You mean, very religion.

 

[GT]

Update.

 

[evangilder]

True GT, and he died doing something he loved.

 

[Wildcat]

A great loss indeed.