Warbird Information Exchange

Way to Go, Nathan. While the rest of us are expressing our disgust you did something positive about it. The seller may not have know it was a fatal accident, the wreckage doesn't look that bad.
I am going to go out on a limb, because I'd like to prevent the next accident. I was not there, and did not read the NTSB report, so I am going to guess. I was told by a pilot there, that Harry was leading a flight in the show and after passes he landed long and too fast and went off the end. MY POINT, it is common to have an air boss ask a pilot to hurry up the landing to keep the show moving or catch up if behind. Most pilots try to comply. DON'T DO IT, unless you are sure it will be safe. If a Skyraider lands at 90 normally, then it needs to land at 90 in the show, not cut short final approach and come in at 120. In my Spitfire we might be doing a pass at 260k indicated and suddenly you get a call to land. You don't want to pull power to idle, yet you've got to shed 170k. Sometimes once more around is the safest way. Having rollover protection is a good idea also.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

If I remember the story properly, Mr. Doan experienced sudden and bad chest pains while doing fly-bys during the TICO Warbird airshow. He declared an emergency, and landed long because he wanted to be sure that he'd miss the crowd in case he passed out or became too weak to control the aircraft. The plane went off the end of the runway and flipped over. The weird part was, apparently the heart attack was minor and he was uninjured by the turnover, and damage to the aircraft was very minor as well. He died because he panicked. He tried to exit the aircraft immediately (fear of a fire, perhaps) instead of waiting for rescuers to come and help him out. He released his seat belt and immediately fell right onto his head... the weight of his own body suffocated him before they could get him out! Sad, but having experienced a heart attack myself I can vouch for the fact that it does induce a weird, panicky mental state...

I could be wrong on the details, I wasn't there when this accident happened. I just remember the story because I live near TICO and remember seeing this plane a lot back in the day.

NTSB Identification: MIA92LA103 .
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 46102.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 04, 1992 in TITUSVILLE, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/13/1993
Aircraft: DOUGLAS AD4-DW, registration: N91945
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
FLT WAS OBSERVED TO APPROACH AT HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL AIRSPEED AND TOUCHDOWN AT THE HALFWAY TO THREE QUARTERS POINT ON THE RUNWAY. THE PLT COULD NOT STOP THE ACFT ON THE RUNWAY. THE ACFT OVERRAN THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER. THE CANOPY COLLAPSED AND THE PLT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. SKID MARKS FROM THE ACFT WERE VISIBLE ON THE LAST 465 FEET OF RUNWAY.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

THE PILOT IN COMMANDS APPROACH AT HIGHER THAN NORMAL AIRSPEED AND HIS LANDING THE AIRCRAFT AT HIGHER THAN NORMAL AIRSPEED AT A POINT ONE HALF TO THREE QUARTERS DOWN THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT OVERRUNNING THE RUNWAY AND NOSING OVER.

As I recall, it happened in the morning prior to the show. I came overhead to land just after he flipped over. He did have room to rollout ahead off the runway & on the dirt/sand. The aircraft came to rest about 100' from the runway end. No crowds or show boss involved at that time. I landed on the other - crosswind runway at Tico.
VL

All,

At the risk of being publicly drawn and quartered by the forum, I have a question or two regarding the outrage some are expressing. Is it the fact that these remains are being sold or is it the manner in which they were being offered? There are a lot of flying warbirds out there today that whose identities or major remains were involved in a fatal wreck at some point. We now enjoy their regular appearances on the airshow circuit each year. I have never heard a public outcry over them. There are several projects fitting this description that will some day be restored, are currently in restoration or will fly soon. Where do these stand in your litmus test of ghoulish or garish?

It seems to me in the past our friends across the Atlantic have endured many a black eye from the pious amongst us for their stand that all remaining wreckage from crashes involving the loss of life be permanently disposed of. Is this the stand that is now being supported by the forum?

John

John,

The remains aren't being sold on eBay - a photo of the crashed aeroplane is.

The Skyraider has already been repaired and is flying again.

If I recall this same photo was in the Orlando paper and an Air Classics issue not long afterward. I was also there that day and heard the same story about him suffocating from his own weight. Sad day.

It sounds like I had the facts correct as to a long and fast touchdown, but my guess as to how or why this happened was off. I had never heard anything about an emergency being declared due to any chest pain. Is that in the accident report? Anyway a sad day.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Very insensitive whoever put that crash shot on the bay. To cheer matters up a bit and in memory of a lost aviator I thought you might like to see some air-to-airs that I took of this very SPAD in happier days
Tim

After seeing the pic earlier today I emailed my disgust and concern to ebay. Good to see its been pulled

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Cheers,
Peter

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Thank you very kindly for the clarification Mike, and apologies all around for my misunderstanding of the situation. I totally agree, selling a picture of the crash is completely tasteless.

John

Don't shoot me, but to be Devil's advocate, haven't I seen pictures posted here of WWII aircraft crashes were the pilot most likely or did die? I've seen no outrage at that.

For example this pic:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... ight=crash

More crash photos on ebay, no outrage:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... ight=crash

I know some of us know pilots in the more recent pohotos, but should not all aviators get the same respect regardless of when the went West?

Hey all,

For one I am glad that the pic was pulled. My dad and I were there and watched it happen. It believe it was during the show and the AirBoss was there and announcing. I was taking pics of a DH Venom being flown by a fellow vermonter when dad noted, "hey look at this". We were at the crowd line and I remember seeing the AD touch down just past us. We were at the base of the Boss tower and it sure is 3/4 down that runway. The AD rolled slowly off the end, you could see the sand billow up as it bounced a bit and EVER SOOO Slowly the tail went up and over. The show was stopped.

A friend of my fathers was the 1st on scene and he heard Hary say "Get me the hell out of this thing"

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

I for one feel that the combat type photos are here to remind us of the sacrifices make for our freedom. It's way to easy to forget these things.

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Don't touch my junk!!

I think this is the same a/c