AIR SHOW organisers have begun an internal review to establish if any changes need to be made following a mid air crash between two historical US fighter planes.
AIR SHOW organisers have begun an internal review to establish if any changes need to be made following a mid air crash between two historical US fighter planes.
Spectators at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford were left stunned after witnessing a P51 Mustang collide with a Douglas AD-4NA Skyraider just after 5pm on Sunday.
Visitors were packing up and preparing to leave after two days of action when the Mustang plummeted into an empty field moments after the pilot bailed out, he suffered minor injuries.
The Skyraider landed safely with damage to its right wing. Nobody else was hurt but an investigation will be carried out into the cause of the accident.
Mark Brown, a pilot, from Warminster, was at the air show and witnessed the crash.
He said: “Three aircrafts form a triangle and then they peel off to the left one after the other. As they did that the leader and the one that was following clipped each other.
“The Sky Raider lost a large chunk of its wing tip which fell to the ground.
“It went into a bit of a dive then sorted itself out. The other aircraft dived away from the airfield. They were only about 100 feet at this point.
“Then we saw someone jump out and a parachute open. It looked all right, so I assumed someone got out ok. There was no explosion or smoke.”
A IWM spokesman that there was an immediate response by the onsite emergency services in accordance with event safety plans
The Air Accident Investigation Branch has begun a formal enquiry into the incident and the spokesman added: “We are complying fully with the requirements of the investigation team. It can take some time and there will therefore be an immediate internal review to determine if any changes to flying procedures are required.”
The incident follows another crash in 1996, when a P38 Lightning smashed into the ground at the airfield in front of 13,000 spectators - see the video above.
WERE you there? Did you see what happened? Tell us about it, call 01799 512882 or e-mail nick.thompson@archant.co.uk.
Pic by Jamie Pluck – The P51 Mustang smashes into the ground
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