Tuskagee P-51 Crash

[CurtissP-6EHawk]

Since I have been kicked out of the O'club, I'll post it here. I will post all my stuff in here.

Crash

 

[Reschke]

Thats a real shame. Sorry to hear that he lost his life.

[ergRTC]

That is too bad, not too far from my home town too.


BTW did you read that article?  I want that 505 mph mustang please.

[CurtissP-6EHawk]

Originally posted by ergRTC
That is too bad, not too far from my home town too.


BTW did you read that article?  I want that 505 mph mustang please.

was wondering who would comment on the speed

[SunTracker]

Plane looks relatively intact.

[Mister Fork]

The aircraft pancaked in (hit bottom first, not nose first).  Witnesses say it belly-flopped onto the ground.  Donald managed to miss all kinds of stuff (powerlines and houses) and put the bird down the way he did - unfortunately the manouvers didn't give him enough speed to get some good ground effect to ditch it.

The lack of explosion after the crash suspects that the plane may have ran out of fuel. NTSB is investigating.

to Donald Hinz for an amazing landing that cost his life, but spared others.

[CurtissP-6EHawk]

Don had just completed a high speed pass at an airshow with Tuskegee Airmen when the sudden and unexpected failure of the Y drive caused the engine to suddenly and completely stop.

[Rafe35]

I'm not sure about this, Wasn't another Tuskgee P-51C crash about couple month ago?  

Don

[CurtissP-6EHawk]

same on Rafe. I am always late finding stuff

How about the sole serviving flyable He-111 that crashed a while back!!!
http://www.confederateairforce.org/news/2003/nr-03-0710.html

[Guppy35]

The Southern Minnesota Wing of the CAF is raising money and are dedicated to getting that bird back in the air in his memory.  

I used to crawl around on that one when it was unrestored sitting next to a hanger in Crystal, Minnesota back in the mid 70s.  Many a time I plotted and planned sneaking it home to the garage

Dan/Slack

[CurtissP-6EHawk]

My dad use to sit in an F4U fuselage that sat behind a hanger at the Old Tamiami airport in Miami way back when Florida was a southern state

[slimm50]

Originally posted by CurtissP-6EHawk
My dad use to sit in an F4U fuselage that sat behind a hanger at the Old Tamiami airport in Miami way back when Florida was a southern state

Whattaya mean he used to sit in a fuselage? Why?   'Splain, please.

[CurtissP-6EHawk]

If I am not mistakin, he was in highschool at the time. I guess it was in pieces. I will have to ask him.

[Wmaker]

I'm so truly sorry to hear this.

I remember how I was sitting in a train about 1,5 or so years ago and reading an article about this plane's restoration from FlyPast.  It was clearly visible from the article that this plane was restored with the highest possbile standards and the pics from the gunbays and everything showed simply awsome attention to detail.

But of course, the biggest loss is the pilot!

Mr. Donald Hinz!!

Personally I'm starting to lean more and more towards the opinion that these priceless planes should be left on the ground as much as I've loved seeing couple of them in airshows myself!

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Mister Fork
The aircraft pancaked in (hit bottom first, not nose first).  Witnesses say it belly-flopped onto the ground.  Donald managed to miss all kinds of stuff (powerlines and houses) and put the bird down the way he did - unfortunately the manouvers didn't give him enough speed to get some good ground effect to ditch it.

The lack of explosion after the crash suspects that the plane may have ran out of fuel. NTSB is investigating.

to Donald Hinz for an amazing landing that cost his life, but spared others.

According to the CAF, the V-drive failed (that means that the camshafts cease to rotate). I have my copy of the CAF newsletter somewhere. I also have two DVDs with a lot of video of the P-51C taken last year. It really didn't pancake. Hinz apparantly tried to avoid stalling it in, but hit a tree, which ripped off the right wing. The Mustang then spun around and hit another tree, tearing the left wing nearly off. It came to rest a few seconds later.

Go to this forum to read what the crew chief knows

Visit Aero-News Network for a brief report

Plans are already underway to rebuilt it, but how fast it progresses will depend upon how fast the funds are raised. They hope to have "By Request" (the plane's actual name) ready to make the "Mustang Roundup" in 2006.

Airplanes can be rebuilt... Pilots obviously are not. Don Hinz will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.

My regards,

Widewing