Jumbo Tanker Accident

Anyone have any photos of the damage?
According to a report on NPR Thursday morning, as the aircraft was
crossing a ridge approaching its drop point, the left wing did an
uncommanded downward roll and struck trees, resulting in damage to the
wing. The report stated that the aircraft would normally be several
hundred feet above the terrain, and no explaination as to why it was
flying lower than normal was given. Immediately following the contact,
power was added and the aircraft climbed and made flew to on to make the
emergency landing described below.

DC-10 tanker makes emergency landing at SÇLA (Tanker 910)
Victorville Daily Press ^ | 6/25/07 | TATIANA PROPHET

Posted on 06/26/2007 12:05:20 PM PDT by BurbankKarl

A DC-10 firetanker that was fighting the White Fire near Tehachapi hit
the treeline and recovered from severe turbulence, then made an
emergency landing at its home base of Southern California Logistics
Airport on Monday evening.

The wide-body jet, the first of its kind built to fight fires and the
only one in operation, performed two drops where it did an ³awesome job²
on the fire, which was 9,100 acres Monday night, said Sean Dakin, fire
information officer for state agency CAL FIRE.

With a 12,000-gallon capacity, it carries 10 times the amount of water
or fire retardant as a standard S2T firefighting prop plane and has
performed effectively on large-scale wildland fires, CAL FIRE officials
have said.

On Monday, after helping out the 800 firefighters on the ground, the
tanker started to have trouble near Bison Peak, south of Tehachapi, said
Janet Upton of CAL FIRE.

³It encountered severe turbulence, which caused the aircraft to descend
and strike several trees,² she said. ³The flight crew was able to apply
power and fly out of the turbulence, and they safely returned to their
base at Victorville.²

Fire officials were standing by after the plane landed safely at SCLA at
about 5:45 p.m.

There were no injuries to the crew or anyone on the ground, Upton said.
The incident is under investigation, she added, which will include a
complete structural examination of the aircraft.

A CAL FIRE team will be arriving today to look at the tanker, and the
plane will be grounded until the investigation is completed, she said.

Rick Hatton, a partner with the plane¹s co-developer, San Carlos-based
Cargo Conversions LLC, told the Daily Press earlier in the day about the
tanker¹s activities on the White Fire.

After the emergency landing, Hatton did not want to comment.

³I have no information at this time,² he said.

The terrain at the White Fire is highly difficult to access, Dakin said.

³It¹s a tough place to be, very steep,² he said.

About 50 structures were threatened, Dakin added, with some damaged but
no information yet available. A team will be going in today to assess
damage.

CAL FIRE recently hired the tanker exclusively for the next three years,
at about $5 million per year ‹ making the plane available for 122 days
from June to October.

It has not yet been certified by the U.S. Forest Service, so on Forest
Service lands, such as the site of the Angora Fire at Lake Tahoe, it is
not authorized to fight fires.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=509666

An old friend sent me a photo of a P-51 upside down next to the runway at
Camarillo Airport in California. I guess it happened within the last couple
of days or so.

Does anyone have an update on this?

Paul Anton
N1431A
KPLU

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:18:43 -0700, "Tri-Pacer"
wrote:

An old friend sent me a photo of a P-51 upside down next to the runway at
Camarillo Airport in California. I guess it happened within the last couple
of days or so.

Does anyone have an update on this?

Paul Anton
N1431A
KPLU

Via ANN:

New Pilot Lost InTakeoff And Landing Drills

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 07.16.07 1720 EDT: Officials have released the
name of the pilot of a P-51D Mustang who died in a Sunday morning
accident at Camarillo Airport.

John McKittrick, 42, was on his first solo flight in the airplane when
it crashed at 0815 PDT Sunday morning. It is unclear whether the
flight was McKittrick's first-ever solo.

Eyewitnesses tell ANN the accident occurred during the first landing
attempt, when the aircraft began porposing on landing, and the pilot
tried to stop the plane before running off the runway.

FAA spokesman Mike Fergus told the Fresno Bee the McKittrick's flight
instructor "told the tower that the student pilot was going to make
patterns" before the accident.

The accident occurred Sunday morning at 0820 local time.

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 51TK Make/Model: P51 Description: P-51, F-51,
A-36 Mustang
Date: 07/15/2007 Time: 1505

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N
Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: CAMARILLO State: CA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, CRASHED AND CAME TO REST INVERTED, THE ONE
PERSON ON
BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, CAMARILLO, CA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
Activity: Training Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: VAN NUYS, CA (WP01) Entry date:
07/16/2007

Don

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:18:43 -0700, "Tri-Pacer"
wrote in :

An old friend sent me a photo of a P-51 upside down next to the runway at
Camarillo Airport in California. I guess it happened within the last couple
of days or so.

Does anyone have an update on this?

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_6382818?source=rss

http://www.faa.gov/data_statistics/a...ia/02_51TK.txt
************************************************** ******************************
** Report created 7/16/2007 Record 2 **
************************************************** ******************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 51TK Make/Model: P51 Description: P-51, F-51,
A-36 Mustang
Date: 07/15/2007 Time: 1505

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: CAMARILLO State: CA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, CRASHED AND CAME TO REST INVERTED, THE ONE
PERSON ON
BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, CAMARILLO, CA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
Activity: Training Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: VAN NUYS, CA (WP01) Entry date:
07/16/2007


http://www.venturacountystar.com/new...rilloaircrash/
Man killed in air crash at Camarillo Airport
By Jenni Mintz (Contact)
Originally published 06:42 p.m., July 15, 2007
Updated 06:42 p.m., July 15, 2007

Pilot killed in Sunday crash identified
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.

It is unclear whether the
flight was McKittrick's first-ever solo.

If this pilot was really on his first solo flight EVER, I'm going to
get in line to sue the flight instructor. Anyone who would put one
of the last Mustangs at risk by training a student pilot in one
deserves to be shot, I don't care how rich the student is.

If, however, (as I suspect) the crash victim was already an
experienced pilot, it's merely another tragic accident. What a shame,
both for the family and for all of us who hope to be able to see (and
hear!) Mustangs forever.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:37:10 -0700, Jay Honeck
wrote in .com:

If this pilot was really on his first solo flight EVER,

JOHN MITCHELL MCKITTRICK
Address

Street XXXXX
County VENTURA Zip Code 91361-5082
Country USA

Medical
Medical Class: Third Medical Date: 4/2006

Certificates
1 of 1

DOI: 6/18/2005
Certificate: PRIVATE PILOT

Rating(s):
PRIVATE PILOT
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE

First. Read Don's posting close. He was checking out in the '51 and
this was his first flight in it.

From the statement that he proporsed, I suggest he was trying to make
a wheel landing. Two of the sister Squadron in my Fighter Group made
wheel landings and they had a number of botched landings trying to
wheel it on. Several ended up going in inverted due to trying to go
around with full power and couldn't control the torque. If you tried
to 'stick' it on with forward pressure of stick you also ran into the
possibility of hitting the prop. Once you bounced it was take it
around or you would porpose.

My Squadron always made three point landings and we had a lesser
landing accident rate then the other two Squadrons combined.

I made a few wheel landings and it took much more technique to get the
bird down in one piece.

I, of course, send condolences to the family and friends.

Big John
*******************************************

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:30:16 -0700, Don Tuite
wrote:

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:18:43 -0700, "Tri-Pacer"
wrote:

An old friend sent me a photo of a P-51 upside down next to the runway at
Camarillo Airport in California. I guess it happened within the last couple
of days or so.

Does anyone have an update on this?

Paul Anton
N1431A
KPLU

Via ANN:

New Pilot Lost InTakeoff And Landing Drills

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 07.16.07 1720 EDT: Officials have released the
name of the pilot of a P-51D Mustang who died in a Sunday morning
accident at Camarillo Airport.

John McKittrick, 42, was on his first solo flight in the airplane when
it crashed at 0815 PDT Sunday morning. It is unclear whether the
flight was McKittrick's first-ever solo.

Eyewitnesses tell ANN the accident occurred during the first landing
attempt, when the aircraft began porposing on landing, and the pilot
tried to stop the plane before running off the runway.

FAA spokesman Mike Fergus told the Fresno Bee the McKittrick's flight
instructor "told the tower that the student pilot was going to make
patterns" before the accident.

The accident occurred Sunday morning at 0820 local time.

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 51TK Make/Model: P51 Description: P-51, F-51,
A-36 Mustang
Date: 07/15/2007 Time: 1505

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N
Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: CAMARILLO State: CA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, CRASHED AND CAME TO REST INVERTED, THE ONE
PERSON ON
BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, CAMARILLO, CA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
Activity: Training Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: VAN NUYS, CA (WP01) Entry date:
07/16/2007

Don

Jay Honeck wrote:
It is unclear whether the
flight was McKittrick's first-ever solo.

If this pilot was really on his first solo flight EVER, I'm going to
get in line to sue the flight instructor. Anyone who would put one
of the last Mustangs at risk by training a student pilot in one
deserves to be shot, I don't care how rich the student is.

If, however, (as I suspect) the crash victim was already an
experienced pilot, it's merely another tragic accident. What a shame,
both for the family and for all of us who hope to be able to see (and
hear!) Mustangs forever.

I'll bet it was first solo IN THE AIRCRAFT. There are two John Mckittricks
in the database one is a controller the other is a PP SEL,MEL and Inst.

"Don Tuite" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:18:43 -0700, "Tri-Pacer"
wrote:

An old friend sent me a photo of a P-51 upside down next to the runway at
Camarillo Airport in California. I guess it happened within the last
couple
of days or so.

That's not the one that's in One Six Right is it?

-c

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...

DOI: 6/18/2005
Certificate: PRIVATE PILOT

That's pushing it for a Mustang, isn't it? Licensed in 2005?

Rating(s):
PRIVATE PILOT
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE