This morning I was heading to CMA to fly with a friend, I called the person I was going to meet and heard some pretty aweful news that there was a crash in a Mustang there. CMA was closed. It was a guy who had recently purchased a Mustang, installed dual controls, and had been flying it with an instructor pilot. This morning was his first solo flight in it. His instructor and another Mustang pilot were watching. He came in a little too hot, touched the mains a bit too hard and bounced, he then initiated a go-around, but added far too much power, too quickly. At about 50 feet of altitude this caused a torque roll to inverted and impact with the ground still in an inverted attitude. The plane stayed on the runway but the engine (still on fire) landed about 200 yards away.What a sad day around here, and how terrible to be the instructor who was watching as this unfolded. The video above also shows a hot approach, and a bounce, but the pilot today didn't try to salvage it, and just went for the go around. . .not a bad idea. . .provided you can safely do the go around.
From the Ventura Star:Man killed in air crash at Camarillo AirportBy Jenni Mintz (Contact) Originally published 06:42 p.m., July 15, 2007Updated 06:42 p.m., July 15, 2007 During his first solo flight, a 42-year-old Thousand Oaks resident was killed Sunday morning after crashing a privately-owned, Mustang Vintage P-51 WWII aircraft at the Camarillo Airport on the south end of the runway.A call was made to the dispatcher about 8:15 a.m., and about 30 emergency personnel responded, including airport operations, the sheriff and coroner, said Mark Taillon, Ventura County Fire Department captain. The man was pronounced dead at 8:35 a.m.Witnesses say the man appeared to be practicing taking off and landing, Taillon said. He took off from the runway headed west when the plane crashed into fields adjacent to the runway, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.At the family's request, the victim's name will not be made public until Monday, because he had extensive family in the area that should be notified first. All that could be released about the man's identity Sunday is that he's a local resident, Taillon said.— Staff writer Lisa McKinnon contributed to this report.S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX-Squadron XO
