Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 4, 2014 at 0927 mountain daylight time, a North American P-51 Mustang airplane, N1451D, impacted terrain near the Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), Durango, Colorado, shortly after takeoff. The airplane was owned and operated by Bridgewood Holdings, LLC, Durango, Colorado. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight instructor, who occupied the rear seat, and the pilot, who occupied the front seat, were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight, which was being operated in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

In statements provided to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) by local law enforcement, and written statements provided to the IIC, witnesses reported the airplane departed runway 3 and entered a hard left bank to approximately 90 degrees. The nose pitched up slightly and continued to bank past 90 degrees to an inverted position, and then the nose pitched down to approximately a 45 degree angle. The witnesses stated they lost sight of the airplane when their view was blocked by a hangar, unable to see the ground impact. Additionally, witnesses reported that the pilot usually "dipped the left wing" of the airplane to wave as he flew over. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONFlight Instructor

The flight instructor, age 53, held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane single and multi-engine, and glider airplane ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single and multi-engine land, glider and instrument airplane. Additionally, he held an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate.

His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class airman medical certificate was issued on April 10, 2014, with the limitation: must have available glasses for near vision.

The flight instructor reported on his medical certificate application that he had accumulated 12,400 total flight hours, with 130 hours in the previous 6 months. The flight instructor's pilot logbook indicated he had 12,414 total flight hours as of July 1, 2014, with 3,609 in single-engine land airplanes and 26 flight hours in the accident airplane, all flown with the pilot.

The flight instructor began instructing the accident pilot in June 2013, providing training for completion of his private pilot certificate in September 2013 and high performance airplane check out in October 2013. He last flew in the accident airplane with the accident pilot receiving instruction on June 24, 2014 during a 4-hour flight.

A review of the instructor's log book noted an entry dated February 1, 2014 which annotated he was 'competent to act as pilot-in-command of a North American P-51D.'

Pilot

The pilot, age 51, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His FAA third-class airman medical certificate was issued on March 29, 2013, with the limitation: must wear corrective lenses. The