Another Colorado crash; P-51 down at Durango

Damn............. That sucks.....:sad::sad::sad:...


Godspeed to the pilot and passenger...
 
Bummers.

Last I heard, there were around 250 airworthy 51's.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
Bummers.

Last I heard, there were around 250 airworthy 51's.
Click to expand...

123 now. The following is from an article in the Durango Herald that is linked in my OPs story link.

Only 123 P-51 Mustangs remain in the United States out of more than 15,000 that were manufactured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry. One of them resides at Durango’s airport.
 
122 now that the Durango one is balled up. Doesn't look like it burned, though, so it may be resurrectable, for a hefty price and amount of labor.

Peace and blessings to the families.
 
Always tough to loose a warbird,and the pilot. Condolences to the family's.
 
Be interesting to read pilots background and skill level. These planes are usually maintained very well due to cost of buying one.
 
Hearing of a plane down with fatalities hurts us as pilots.
Hearing it was a P-51, I believe, hurts a little more.
With respect for the departed though, I think of many worse ways to go.
 
Jimmy cooper said:
Be interesting to read pilots background and skill level. These planes are usually maintained very well due to cost of buying one.
Click to expand...
Word on the warbird scene is that the pilot had recently bought the airplane. The other person killed was his instructor.

Don't know what his background is, but most folks who start flying P-51s typically have a bunch of time in T-6s first which is said to be a more challenging airplane to fly.

This article says the owner started learning to fly this year, but I suspect they are referring to when he started flying the P-51:
http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20140704/NEWS01/140709810/-1/News#
 
I parked next to this airplane at KELP last year, struck up conversation with the pilots (two) at that time, circa December 2013. I seem to recall they (or at least one of them) had owned it for a few years. FBO lineboy said they were "known" as frequent ELP visitors and my take-away was that the December 2013 folks were frequent fliers of that bird.

If I see their pics in the press/internet maybe I can tell if they were the same ones


Sad

Victims identified by relatives in this article"

http://www.durangoherald.com/articl...iple-agencies-investigate-deadly-plane-crash-

Although the county coroner has not verified identities of the victims, Schlarb’s wife, Monie, confirmed her husband, Michael Schlarb, and John Earley, who owned the aircraft both perished in the crash, which occurred just before 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Click to expand...
Mooney Space forums has a thread with a guy who purportedly witnessed the crash

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/12476-watched-2-pilots-and-a-p51d-die-today/

Here are some pics of the bird, I took on the ramp at KELP, while refueling.

SjM0y84
SjM0y84.jpg


kU5X7Mi.jpg


evgyKHU.jpg


kU5X7Mi


evgyKHU
 
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Cpt_Kirk said:
Bummers.

Last I heard, there were around 250 airworthy 51's.
Click to expand...

Don't worry about the P-51. I have been told by several in the warbird community that every single thing on the P-51 except the engine I think has jigs and tooling available. Most of the ones we see flying are flying with majority new build parts, not WWII parts. So if the demand and money is there, they will build more. Of all the WWII warbirds, I have no fear that that there will always be plenty P-51s flying as long as I live. Most of the other types, not so much.
 
Well, if people start looking at them as commonplace like car crashes are viewed, that might at least help them fly "under the radar" in a way...
 
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