Warbird Alley's
Warbird News
Here's the latest news from the warbird aircraft community.
We update this page regularly. Items are moved to the
News Archive after approximately fourteen months.

Today's Date:

[Click the newspaper to jump to the latest news.]

November 2010:

• 5 November: Walter A. Soplata, known for his lifetime passion for collecting military aircraft, died at the age of 87. His wooded property near Cleveland, Ohio, USA, holds dozens of vintage aircraft, from WWII fighters to 1970s-era jets, and includes some extremely rare aircraft types. [Air and Space magazine article]

• 6 November: The pilot of a 1944 North American T-6F Texan, N164US, was killed when his plane lost power on approach to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA. The plane came to rest inverted in the along the shore of a river. The plane's passenger walked away with minor injuries, but pilot/owner Reese Dill drowned before rescuers could reach the scene.

• 8 November: Another WWII aircraft has been pulled from the depths of Lake Michigan -- this time, a rare "birdcage" version of the Vought F4U Corsair. The plane crashed into the lake in June 1943 during carrier training on the USS Wolverine. Local resident and warbird owner Chuck Greenhill funded the recovery, although the plane is still the property of the U.S. Navy. The plane will be shipped to Pensacola, Florida for restoration. [More information]

• 12 November: A 1940 Aeronca L-3 / O-58 Grasshopper, N46014, crashed at Livingston, New York, USA, after losing power. The pilot and passenger were both injured.

• 17 November: A Cessna M337B / O-2 Skymaster, N1309, went down during a nighttime military exercise near Avon Park, Florida, USA. The aircraft, operated by Patriot Technologies Group, LLC, lost most of its right wing while returning to base, and the subsequent crash killed all three crewmembers on board.

December 2010:

• 1 December: Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Museum has announced that their rare Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5 has made its first post-restoration flight. The plane last flew in 1943. Test pilot Steve Hinton said the plane was "very fast, light, and responsive."

• 10 December: Air USA of Quincy, Illinois, USA announced it had performed the first flight of a privately-owned Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter.

• 21 December: Australian manufacturer Supermarine Aircraft has announced that they will be opening a production facility at Cisco Municipal Airport near Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The company produces 80%-scale replica Spitfires.

January 2011:

• 22 January: "Chuckie," a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress formerly owned for many years by the late "Doc" Hospers in Fort Worth, Texas, has found a new home at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Pilots Bob Hill and Don Anklin braved over six hours of frigid temperatures as they delivered the historic aircraft to its new owner, Jerry Yagen. [Link to news article >>] [Link to YouTube video of Chuckie's arrival]

• 23 January: The Historic Flight Foundation is pleased to announce the first flight of their Mikoyan MiG-29UB Fulcrum, N29UB. Pilot Doug Russell and owner John Sessions moved the airplane from Arlington Municipal airport in Washington to Paine Field in Everett, Washington. This aircraft is the second privately-owned MiG-29 to be flown in the USA (See 10 December 201 entry.)

• 27 January: The U.S. Attorney's office in Birmingham, Alabama, USA has filed a civil complaint against a local businessman who they say illegally imported a Douglas AD-4N Skyraider several years ago. The complaint orders the owner to forfeit the airplane to the U.S. Government. [Article link >>]

February 2011:

• 2 February: A 1963 Fouga CM-170 Magister jet, N415FM, crashed near the Kissimmee, Florida airport, during a maintenance check flight, killing both occupants. Witnesses reported the airplane had been performing a series of touch-and-go's before impacting the ground east of the airport. [Editor's note: Noted classic-jet restorer Carl Vernon was one of the pilots lost in this accident. Our condolences go to his family and friends.]

• 3 February: The EAA's Warbirds of America organization has announced that commemorative bricks are now available for sale that will be placed in their new "Eagle Plaza" at Oshkosh. Bricks may be purchased by both WoA members and non-members alike. Funds raised will support a student pilot scholarship program, and also go toward improvements in the Warbirds area at Oshkosh. [See more details >>]

• 3 February: A 1943 Aeronca L-3 / O-58B Grasshopper, N57403 (s/n 058B-8212), suffered a loss of power and force-landed on a ranch near San Luis Obispo, California. Pilot/owner Jeff Welles suffered minor injuries. His 86-year old passenger, Obbie Atkinson (a B-29 crewmember in WWII and still an active pilot), passed away from his injuries on 4 February.

• 9 February: The Collings Foundation has acquired a 1956 North American F-100F Super Sabre, N26AZ, formerly operated by David Tokoph in El Paso, Texas.

• A two-seat British Aerospace Sea Harrier T2 (XW269), which was being sold on eBay for nearly ₤70,000 by a retired RAF mechanic, was accidentally purchased by a 7-year old boy who clicked on the "Buy It Now" button. The sale was later canceled and the airplane was put up for auction. Another Harrier (ZX494) was sold on eBay in 2007 for ₤10,000.

• 15 February: A 1944 Taylorcraft DCO-65 / L-2 Grasshopper, N46089, crashed into a forested area near Lafayette, Indiana, injuring both the pilot and passenger -- both of whom are 22-year old students at Purdue University.

• 18 February: A Canadair CT-133/CL-30 Silver Star, N123EM, operated by the Heavy Metal Jet Team, settled to the runway just after takeoff at St. Augustine, Florida, USA, after encountering jet wash from a previously-departed formation. The pilot was not able to fully extend the landing gear before touching down, and it collapsed. Except for spilling 60 gallons of jet fuel, the aircraft was barely damaged. The pilot was not injured. [More details >>]

• 26 February: A 1969 BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk. 81, N167SM, crashed into the frozen Hudson River near Ulster, New York, about 50 miles north of New York City. The body of pilot Mike Faraldi was recovered from the river a day after the accident. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft perform aerobatic maneuvers in the airport traffic pattern, then aggressively pull up and stall prior to the crash. [Accident analysis from the AOPA Air Safety Institute.]

March 2011:

• 7 March: A 1957 Douglas A-4B Skyhawk, N49WH, suffered a partially collapsed main landing gear strut and veered slightly off the runway during the landing rollout at Waukegan, Illinois. The pilot was not injured, and only minor damage to the aircraft was reported.

• 9 March: A 1952 Douglas AD-4N Skyraider, N2088G (Bu.No. 126935) crashed in southern Idaho, near the border town of Jackpot, Nevada, USA, in the Sawtooth National Forest. Both the pilot and a his female passenger perished. They were returning from Wendover, Utah to Idaho Falls, Idaho.

• 12 March: A 1944 General Motors FM-2 Wildcat, N551TC (Bu.No. 47160) suffered the collapse of its landing gear during the landing rollout in Neosho, Missouri, USA. The aircraft is expected to be back in the air in the next few months.

• 18 March: A new PBS television series entitled "The Restorers" will make its debut on US screens this year, featuring stories about those who restore warbirds and other vintage aircraft. [More information >>]

• 25 March: A Boeing A75/PT-17 Stearman, N68117, was substantially damaged after a ground-loop during its landing roll at Wichita, Kansas, USA. Neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured.

• 26 March: A 1983 Yakovlev Yak-52TW, N808TD, crashed at Bunnell, Florida, USA during a demonstration of the Red Thunder Airshow Team. Pilot Bill "Wild Bill" Walker was killed.

• Several media outlets in Texas reported that a North American B-25J Mitchell, N747AF (Ser.No. 44-30456), suffered the collapse of its nose gear while taxiing at Jardin Ranch, near Laredo, Texas USA, resulting in an engine fire. No one was injured.

• 27 March: A 1958 North American T-28 Trojan, N209WW (Bu.No. 138209), was forced to land in the water short of the runway at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, after pilot Pierre Boursse noticed a "chip light" illuminated in flight, signaling the engine's impending failure. He attempted to return the the airport but did not have the glide range to make the runway without hitting a seawall at the approach end. Neither he nor his passenger were injured. [Watch video of the incident. >>]

• 29 March: Medal of Honor recipient and former POW Col. Bud Day headlined the rollout of the Collings Foundation's North American F-100F Super Sabre in its new Vietnam camouflage colors. He flew in the "Hun," in a gala that featured the foundation's TA-4 Skyhawk, F-4 Phantom II, T-33 Shooting Star, and UH-1 Huey. [Watch the video>>]

April 2011:

• 8 April: An article in the UK Telegraph chronicled the discovery and planned recovery of the world's only known Dornier Do 17 "Flying Pencil" bomber, which ditched in the English Channel during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The aircraft is largely intact and resting upside down on the sea floor. The RAF Museum plans to raise the wreck shortly.

• 10 April: A 1953 Beechcraft T-34A Mentor, N6HK (c/n G-119), landed gear-up at Bullhead City, Arizona, USA. Neither person onboard was injured.

• 11 April: A 1977 WSK-Mielec AN-2 Colt biplane, N122AN, flipped over after a forced landing near Loxley, Alabama, USA. Neither crewmember was injured, but the aircraft was destroyed.

• 14 April: A 1955 Beechcraft T-34B Mentor, N93013, operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, crashed shortly after takeoff in Linden, North Carolina, USA. Neither the pilot nor passenger were injured.

• 15 April: Bill Reesman, former Vietnam War F-100 combat pilot and MiG-17 airshow performer, has passed away. Reesman flew the Red Bull-sponsored aircraft in a show called MiG Magic.

• 23 April: A 2002 Yakovlev Yak-52TW, N916BM, landed gear-up in Englewood, Colorado, USA. The pilot was not injured.

May 2011:

• 2 May: A 1957 Beechcraft C-45/Model 18, N18R, operated by a small Part 135 cargo airline, crashed after takeoff in Opa-Locka, Florida, USA, narrowly missing houses in a densely populated neighborhood. The owner/pilot was killed.

• 6 May: A North American TF-51D Mustang, N51ZM (s/n 45-11471) was slightly damaged when its tailwheel collapsed after landing in Boise, Idaho, USA.

• 9 May: Florida-based Starfighters, Inc. announced that they will be taking delivery of five more Lockheed F-104 Starfighter jets from the Italian Air Force to complement the four already in their fleet. The company performs test and evaluation flights and training flights for NASA and other contractors.

• 15 May: A DeHavilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, G-AOIL (XL716), crashed in a farm field near Witchampton, Dorset, UK, killing one man and seriously injuring another. The aircraft had been performing aerobatics prior to the accident.

• 19 May: A 1943 Boeing B75N Stearman biplane, N81235, suffered a scraped wingtip while taxiing at Torrance, California, USA.

• 20 May: A North American SNJ-6 Texan, N5485V, went off the runway during a landing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. The aircraft sustained unknown damage.

• 27 May: A Boeing A75N Stearman, N60147, struck a tree and crashed in a field near Fremont, Michigan, USA. The pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.

• 28 May: A Boeing A75N1 Stearman, N55508, ground-looped upon landing and struck a wingtip at Millville, New Jersey, USA. Only minor damage was reported.

• 29 May: A 1953 Grumman HU-16C Albatross, N7025J, was damaged by gunshots while parked on the ramp at Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The suspect, 26-year-old Randon Reid, was arrested after police chased him to his home after the late-night incident. [Editor's note: Reid's mug shot explains just about everything you need to know about the man involved.]

• 31 May: A 1944 North American B-25 Mitchell, F-F-AZZU (s/n 44-58811, "Russell's Raiders") suffered an engine fire shortly after takeoff from the Melun-Villaroche Aerodrome, near Paris, France. The crew managed to land the airplane "gear-up" in a nearby field, but not without incurring significant damage to the airplane. Neither pilot was injured.

June 2011:

• 4 June: A 1941 Boeing A75N Stearman, N50052, was substantially damaged after it struck a tree and a house shortly after takeoff, coming to rest in a yard near Junction City, Kansas, USA. Only minor injuries were reported by the pilot and passenger.

• 13 June: A 1944 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, N390TH, (s/n 44-85734, "Liberty Belle") was destroyed by fire after a successful forced landing in a field near Oswego, Illinois. Only one minor injury was reported among the seven crewmembers and passengers. The Liberty Belle, operated by Don Brooks' Liberty Foundation, had just departed Aurora, Illinois headed for Indiana as part of its 2011 "Salute to Veterans" tour when a fire was reported in the left wing by an escort aircraft, leading to the emergency landing. The aircraft was one of only thirteen flying B-17s remaining.
  
            [ Chicago Tribune coverage ]  [ Video from WTHR-TV ]  [ Daily Herald Photos ]

• 14 June: A crane that was lifting a restored Douglas A-4 Skyhawk back onto its pedestal at the Alameda Naval Station in California toppled over, crashing down onto the aircraft and severely damaging it. The aircraft had been on display on the base since 1969, but had recently been removed for restoration work and repainting. [News coverage and video]

• 18 June: A 1969 Aero Vodochody L-29C Delfin, N37KF, sustained substantial damage inflight at Reno, Nevada, USA. After the aircraft landed with noticeably-scorched paint on the tail section, the pilot reported difficulty operating the rudder. Although initial FAA reports indicated that the aircraft was trailing smoke and flames when it landed, subsequent NTSB reports said, "Part of the structure associated with an engine that had been installed under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) failed. That failure allowed jet blast from the engine to be deflected onto a portion of the primary airframe structure. The melting of that structure affected the support and movement of the airplane's rudder. Although the failure occurred in flight, it was not detected until the pilot was operating the rudder pedals after landing." The aircraft was expected to be repaired.

• 25 June: A 1972 Nanchang CJ-6, N8181C, was damaged while stored securely in its hangar at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona, USA, after a young driver lost control of his uncle's Maserati sports car while driving it at high speed, unsupervised, on a taxiway late at night. The car skidded into the hangar, nearly demolishing the front of the building and doing extensive damage to the recently-restored airplane. [Editor's note: It's bad enough that airplanes occasionally get damaged by normal means. Irresponsible behavior by car owners on airport operations areas is unforgivable. Our industry needs to get better about policing ourselves or, unfortunately, others will.]  [News report]

July 2011:

• 1 July: The pilot of a rare, 1946 Griffon-powered Supermarine Seafire Mk. XVII, G-KASX (SX336), was unable to extend the aircraft's landing gear, and made a belly landing on a grass runway in Bondues, France. Pilot Anna Walker was not injured. [Photos of the incident]

• 9 July: A 1989 Aero Vodochody L-39C Albatros, N111XN, overshot the runway, went down an embankment, and ended up on its back while landing at Passaic, New Jersey, USA. The pilot suffered a broken collar bone, and the aircraft was substantially damaged.

• 9 July: A 1953 deHavilland DHC-1 Chipmunk, N22DH (WZ859), suffered an engine failure during a go-around on a private airfield near Benton, Kansas, USA. The aircraft was substantially damaged after cartwheeling and coming to rest against a building. The pilot was injured, but is expected to recover. The aircraft has recently been restored after being dormant for 25 years.

• 10 July: The pilot of a North American P-51D Mustang, D-FBBD (c/n CACM-192-1517, "Big Beautiful Doll") successfully bailed out of his airplane after the vintage fighter was struck by the wing of a Douglas AD-4N Skyraider, F-AZDP (c/n 7449), during the "Flying Legends" airshow at Duxford, UK. It appears that the Skyraider pilot lost sight of the Mustang during a "fan break" maneuver. The pilot of the Mustang, Rob Davies, successfully bailed out at low altitude, suffering only a few bruises in the process. The Skyraider pilot managed to land his airplane despite the loss of about four feet of his right wing. [Video of the accident]  [Photos of the Skyraider landing]

• 17 July: A North American/CCF T-6D/Harvard IV, F-ASIG, crashed after takeoff from Lyon-Bron Airport, France. Both the pilot and his passenger (his daughter) were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed.

• 22 July: A 1943 North American/Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIb, G-AZSC (s/n 43-13064), performed a gear-up forced landing in a field after losing engine power following a low pass down the runway at Goodwood, UK. No injuries were reported.

• 25 July: A Sikorski UH-34J Choctaw helicopter, N3880J (c/n 148821) crashed while involved in agricultural application near Wilton, Iowa, USA. The pilot was killed.

• 26 July: A 1958 North American FJ-4B Fury, N400FS, the only one of its type still airworthy, overran the runway and came to rest several hundred yards past its end at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. The pilot was not injured and the aircraft suffered only minor damage.

• 26 July: The Vintage Wings of Canada organization in Gatineau, Québec, Canada is pleased to announce the first post-overhaul flight of their Fairey Swordfish Mk.III biplane, C-GEVS. Pilot John Aitken guided the rare beast on a successful shakedown flight. The next day, the aircraft departed for EAA's AirVenture event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it was met by an appreciative audience. [Video of first flight]

• 27 July: A 1954 Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune, N9855F (Tanker 06), operated as an airtanker, went off the end of the runway at Roswell, New Mexico, USA. No one was injured, and the aircraft was not substantially damaged.

• 30 July: A Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat, N6178C, operated by the Historic Flight Foundation, veered into the grass while taxiing in Everett, Washington, USA. Minor damage to the aircraft was reported.

• 31 July: A 1943 Vultee BT-13A Valiant, N818DM, ground-looped upon landing in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA. The passenger suffered minor injuries, and the plane was slightly damaged.

August 2011:

• 1 August: Aero Union, a Sacramento, California-based company that provides contract aircraft such as the Lockheed P2V Neptune and Douglas C-54 Skymaster for firefighting use, has lost its contract with the U.S. Forest Service, apparently due to the company's failure to comply with mandated safety policies.

• 2 August: A Yakovlev Yak-52, registered RA-1428K, crashed into a cornfield while on approach to Lelystad Airport, Netherlands. The airplane came to rest upside down, and the pilot was killed

• 3 August: Wilbert L. "Skeets" Mehrer, noted pilot, prolific warbird collector, and owner of the Lickety Split T-6 Reno racing team, died of injuries suffered in the crash of a Piper Comanche near Camas, Washington, USA.

• 6 August: A 1944 North American P-51D Mustang, N991R (s/n 44-74536) ("Miss America"), landed gear-up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. Damage was reported as minor.

• 6 August: The nose landing gear of a 1958 North American T-28C Trojan, N28ZZ, collapsed upon landing in Long Beach, California, USA. The pilot was not injured. Damage to the airplane was reported as "substantial."

• 6 August: A Fouga CM-170 Magister jet, F-AZZE (c/n 435), crashed in a field near Champ-de-la-Pierre, France. Both the pilot and passenger were killed.

• 7 August: A 1973 Siai-Marchetti SF-260, N408FD, was substantially damaged after crashing off the runway at a private landing strip near Coalingua, California, USA. The pilot and three passengers suffered minor injuries.

• 13 August: A 1943 Fairchild PT-19/M-62 Cornell, N53956, crashed in a remote area near the Des Moines River near Madrid, Iowa, USA, killing both occupants. The aircraft struck powerlines, but it is not yet known if this is the cause of the accident.

• 13 August: A North American T-6D Texan, N7435U, crashed short of the runway near Carnesville, Georgia, USA, after reportedly running out of fuel. The plane was substantially damaged, but the pilot suffered no serious injuries. Strangely, local media outlets reported almost immediately that the Federal Aviation Administration had ruled the pilot was "not at fault" for the accident.

• 14 August: A 1972 Nanchang CJ-6, N58T, landed gear-up at Fargo, North Dakota, USA, during the city's annual airshow. The owner/pilot was not injured.

• 21 August: A Grumman FM-2 Wildcat, N86572, groundlooped during an airshow at Camarillo, California, USA. The pilot was not injured.

• 23 August: The Santa Monica, California-based Museum of Flying has announced they will be reopening to the public in November, after being closed since 2002 due to economic issues. After a significant expansion and remodeling effort, the museum hopes to become an educational center for the surrounding community, with hands-on displays for kids and adults alike. [Museum Website]

• 31 August: A freshly-restored Piper L-21B Super Cub, N10365, restored in Italian Air Force markings, went off the runway during landing in East Liverpool, Ohio, USA, and was substantially damaged. Neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured.

September 2011:

• 1 September: A 1953 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor, N273CB, was slightly damaged on landing at Bridgeport, West Virginia, USA. Circumstances of the incident are unknown.

• 4 September: A 1944 North American TB-25N Mitchell, N9079Z ("Panchito," s/n 44-30734), suffered the collapse of its right main landing gear upon landing in Georgetown, Delaware, USA. None of the three people on board were injured.

• 4 September: A Siai-Marchetti SF-260, N260DP, had its nosegear collapse on takeoff at Santa Monica, California, USA. No injuries were reported.

• 10 September: A 1943 Fairchild PT-26 Cornell, N103JC (s/n FC-119), operated by the Commemorative Air Force, lost engine power shortly after takeoff from Waukegan, Illinois, USA during an airshow. The pilot did a nice job landing the airplane in a field next to the airport. Due to uneven ground, the airplane was substantially damaged.

• 10 September: A 1943 Boeing PT-13/E75 Stearman, OE-AWW (formerly N75664) (c/n 75-5386), crashed and was substantially damaged after an apparent loss of power shortly after takeoff from Backnang-Heiningen airport, Germany, during an airshow. The pilot was slightly injured. The accident was captured on video in graphic detail by a spectator. [Video here.]

• 13 September: The Reno Air Race Association (RARA) has grounded six jets from competing in this year's Jet Class races at the National Air Races in Reno, Nevada, USA. Five of them are L-29 Delfins believed to be fitted with powerful Rolls-Royce Viper engines, and one is a L-39 Albatros believed to have a substantially-modified engine. A RARA spokesperson said the aircraft would be able to compete next year, after safety issues had been addressed.

• 16 September: A modified North American P-51D Mustang, N79111 (s/n 44-15651, "Galloping Ghost"), piloted by well-known racer and warbird owner Jimmy Leeward, crashed into the box-seat area in front of the grandstands during the last race of the day at the 48th Annual National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, USA. At least 10 spectators died and 70+ were injured, plus the loss of the pilot. Analysis of race video shows that the aircraft aggressively pulled up, rolled over, and essentially performed a "Split-S" into the ground. During this maneuver, part of the aircraft's elevator trim tab departed the airplane, and the tail wheel was seen in the down position, possibly indicative of a high G-load.  [Reno Gazette-Journal coverage] [Article: Warbird Safety in the Post-Reno 2011 Era]

Jimmy Leeward with Galloping Ghost in 2010

• 17 September: A North American T-28C Trojan, N688GR, flown by the "Trojan Horsemen" demonstration team, crashed during an airshow performance at Martinsville, West Virginia, USA. The pilot did not survive. The aircraft had just performed an opposing aileron roll with another T-28, but did not complete the roll.

• 17 September: A North American SNJ-5 Texan, N217RK (c/n 88-16224), crashed at a private grass airport near Muskegon, Michigan after losing engine power and striking a tree just after takeoff. The engine was ripped off the firewall during the incident. The owner/pilot suffered a leg injury and other minor bumps and scrapes, but is expected to make a full recovery.

• 20 September: Workers and volunteers at the Canadian Air and Space Museum in Toronto, Canada arrived to find that the museum's landlord had changed the locks and ordered the eviction of the museum. The government-run corporation that owns the museum's land is reported to be planning the construction of a hockey arena on the site. Residents and visitors are urged to visit the museum's website for information on how to contact Canadian officials to comment on the closure.

• 24 September: A 1942 Douglas C-47A Dakota, N3239T ("Tico Belle"), operated by the Valiant Air Command, rolled off the end of the runway while landing in Titusville, Florida, USA. None of the nine people on board were injured.

• 26 September: A replica Nakajima "Kate" Type 97 torpedo-bomber, N2047 (actually a highly-modified Harvard with a BT-13 tail section), operated by the Commemorative Air Force's "Tora Tora Tora" group, made a successful forced landing in a cotton field near Thatcher, Arizona after experiencing an engine failure. The pilot was not injured, and the plane suffered only minor damage.

• 29 September: A 1965 Aero Vodochody L-29C Delfin jet, N9196X, blew its main landing gear tires upon landing in Georgetown Texas, USA. The pilot was not injured.

October 2011:

• 9 October: An Aeronca L-3A (O-58) Grasshopper, N46513 (c/n 42-7798) crashed on takeoff from an airport near Westmoreland, Tennessee, USA, slightly injuring the pilot. The aircraft was substantially damaged.

• 15 October: A North American P-51D Mustang, N751RB ("Glamorous Gal"), was damaged when its right landing gear collapsed upon landing in St. Augustine, Florida, USA, causing it to go off the runway. The pilot and passenger were not injured.

• 19 August: A 1973 Hawker Hunter Mk.58A, N327AX (c/n J-4103, ex-XE611), operated by a defense contractor, went off the runway while landing in Newport News, Virginia, USA, in windy, low-visibility conditions. The pilot was not injured. Other circumstances of the incident are not known.

• 20 October: The U.S.-based Heavy Metal Jet Team has announced they are changing their name to the Black Diamonds Jet Team. They will also become a seven-ship team with the addition of a second MiG-17, in addition to their existing MiG-17 and five L-39s.

• 22 October: A Yakovlev Yak-52, ZU-DTL (c/n 866404) lost brake pressure while taxiing at Durban, South Africa and ran into a parked Piper Meridian. Both aircraft were substantially damaged, but neither occupant was injured.

• 26 October: Swift Fuel, a biofuel alternative to the current 100LL aviation fuel, has been tested in an unmodified Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine. Initial results were positive, and more tests are planned to determine the final suitability of the fuel in large radial engines which power many warbird aircraft. [Read more>>]

• 29 October: A 1980 IAR 823, N129GC, landed gear-up at Raymond, Mississippi, USA. Damage to the aircraft was reported as minor.

• 31 October: Air Race Lawsuits Begin: In a predictable response to the Reno Air Race tragedy in September, the first multi-million dollar wrongful-death lawsuit was filed, by the wife of a man killed in the crash. Named in the suit were no fewer than six defendants. The plaintiffs asked for $25 million, calling the accident a "predictable result of a reckless drive for speed by a risk-taking pilot and crew, coupled with an insatiable drive for profit by those who stood to profit from the show." [Read the rest >>]

November 2011:

• 2 November: A 1984 Aero Vodochody L-39C Albatros jet, N139PM, struck a large flock of pigeons just after liftoff on a "touch-and-go." Neither crewmember was injured. The aircraft suffered minor damage to several locations on its right wing.

• 5 November: A 1956 Beechcraft T-34B / D-45 Mentor, N34KT, crashed into a wooded area shortly after takeoff from a private airstrip near Williston, Florida, USA, killing both occupants. Witnesses reported hearing the engine sputtering during the takeoff.

• 7 November: David Riggs, the notorious pilot who buzzed the Santa Monica, California pier in his L-39 Albatros jet in 2008, had his conviction upheld by a Los Angeles appellate court. He was ordered to serve 60 days in jail, pay a fine, and perform 60 hours of community service.

• 15 November: A Bell UH-1H Iroquois ("Huey") helicopter, N502AW, lost power and made a hard forced landing near the Grand Canyon Valle Airport, Arizona, USA. The pilot was seriously injured.

• 19 November: A 1951 Beechcraft C-45G, N75Q, nosed over and suffered substantial damage upon landing in Lyman, Mississippi, USA. None of the seven people on board were injured.

• 30 November: A 1951 Cessna L-19 (Model 305A) Bird Dog, N6735Q (s/n 51-16897), crashed on approach to the Fredericksburg, Texas airport, after the engine failed. The aircraft struck power lines and came to rest across the road from the airport. The pilot was not injured.

December 2011:

• 8 December: A recently-restored 1943 Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk, N5813 (ex-RNZAF NZ3119), operated by the Tri-State Warbird Museum of Batavia, Ohio, USA suffered a catastrophic engine failure at an altitude of 6,500 feet during a test flight. Despite having limited forward visibility due to smoke and coolant, the pilot was able to return to the airport, but the aircraft ended up going off the end of the runway, through a fence and onto a road. The right landing gear collapsed and the right wingtip was shredded, but otherwise the aircraft was largely undamaged.

• 18 December: A static-display Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was stolen over the weekend from the Deelen Air Base Museum in the Netherlands. The thieves left a somewhat cryptic note which some officials believe indicates the aircraft will be returned next year.

• 20 December: A group of SCUBA divers discovered what is believed to be a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver laying upside-down on the sea floor, at a depth of 185 feet, approximately four miles off the coast of Jupiter, Florida, USA. [Media coverage >>]

• 21 December: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has announced they will host a one-day public hearing entitled, "Air Race and Air Show Safety" in Washington, DC on 10 January, 2012. [Learn More>>]

• 22 December: A 1987 Nanchang CJ-6A, N8120C (c/n 44-04), suffered a power loss and force-landed on a beach in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, USA. Neither the pilot nor his passenger were injured, and the plane was undamaged.

(Photo contributed by Mitch Meyers.)

• 24 December: The Netherlands' "Aviodrome" aviation theme park closed its doors, a victim of bankruptcy due to the poor economic climate. Most of the museum's collection will be auctioned off in the next six weeks. The Aviodrome is the home of a well-known Lockheed VC-121 Constellation, N749NL, that was restored to airworthy condition in Arizona and flown 5,000 miles to Holland in 2002.

January 2012:

• 4 January: The Reno Air Race Association (RARA) has announced that they will press ahead with plans to hold an event in September 2012, despite the accident in 2011 which killed 11 spectators and injured 70. RARA President Mike Houghton would not speculate about what changes, if any, would be made to the event to help ensure the safety of spectators, and it is not known if the organization can acquire the needed permits to hold conventional air races, in the same format as before. [Read more >>]

• 10 January: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hosted a one-day public hearing in Washington, DC to hear opinions and testimony regarding the safety of air races and airshows in the United States. A notable moment occurred when the FAA's Director of Flight Standards said that he was "not aware of any significant or substantive changes to the policy and guidance we have in place" regarding current airshow regulations. It is hope this bodes well for events such as the National Championship Air Races.

• 20 January: Pilot/owner Tom Coble was killed in the crash of his 1981 Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros, N16RZ, shortly after takeoff from the Gadsden, Alabama USA airport. A low, overcast ceiling was reported at the airport at the time of the accident. [Local news report >>]

• 21 January: A 1969 Nanchang CJ-6A, N620DM (c/n 2532080), lost brake pressure while taxiing and hit a building in Glendale, Arizona, USA. Neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured.

• 23 January: A Yakovlev/Aerostar Yak-52TW crashed in a sports field in Feilding, Wellington, New Zealand, killing both men on board. Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang, and saw the aircraft trailing smoke as it rapidly descended. [Local news report >>]

• 27 January: A 1942 deHavilland DH-82A Tiger Moth, VH-GVA (c/n 1014), struck trees shortly after takeoff from Maryborough Airport, Victoria, Australia. The aircraft burned, and both occupants were killed. [Local news report >>] 

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