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Bureau #: 97280 Construction #: 9434 Civil Registration: N49092 N712RD Model: F4U-4 Name: None Status: Destroyed Last info: 2002 |
History: Robert Bean, Hereford, AZ, 1959. Delivered to FA Hondurena as FAH 615*, 1961-1978. George Heaven & Jim Nettle/Hollywood Wings, Long Beach, CA, 1978. - Delivered from Tegucigalpa AB to Houston, TX, Dec. 1978. Robert L. Ferguson & Howard E. Pardue, Breckenridge, TX, Dec. 1978-1979. - Registered as N49092. Robert F. Yancy, Klamath Falls, OR, July 4, 1980-1988. - Flew as USN/S-101/Old Blue. Doug Arnold/Warbirds Of GB Ltd., Biggin Hill, Jan. 1988-1990. - Shipped to UK, arriving Biggin Hill Feb. 19, 1988. - Returned to Fort Lauderdale, FL for sale, Mar. 1992. ISRMS Inc, Land-O-Lakes, FL, June 1992. Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison, TX, Aug. 5, 1994-1999. - Flew as USN/97280/N206. - Destroyed in ground collision with Bearcat (See Below), July 27, 1999. Wreckage reported sold and stored pending descision on rebuild, 2001-2002. * Also reported as FAH 619 which is apparently not a valid number. |
Aircraft: Chance Vought F4U-4, registration: N712RD Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured. On July 29, 1999, at 1500 central daylight time (cdt), a Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair, N712RD, operated by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it collided with a Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat, N14HP, which was positioned on the east edge of runway 18 at Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, approximately 1,400 feet from the departure end. The F8F-1 was substantially damaged in the collision. At the time of the collision, the F8F-1, N14HP, was stationary on the runway with its engine at idle power. The F4U-4, N712RD, was at full power on takeoff roll and struck the F8F-1 from behind. A Chance Vought F4U-5 Corsair, N179PT, on takeoff roll in formation with N712RD, sustained substantial damage when the pilot saw a second Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat positioned on the runway in front of his aircraft and elected to steer his airplane off of the runway to avoid the other airplane. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot of the F4U-4, N 712RD, was seriously injured. The pilot of the F8F-1, N14HP, reported no injuries. The pilot of the F4U-5, N179PT, received minor injuries. The flights were being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and were not on a flight plan. The three airplanes were part of a formation demonstration flight of eight airplanes in four sections of two airplanes each, that had been cleared to takeoff from runway 18 together. The accident occurred at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) convention "AirVenture 99" in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Air traffic control clearance for departing aircraft had been relinquished from the FAA tower to a local "air boss" who was a member of the Warbirds of America. The air boss confirmed that he had cleared all of the airplanes to takeoff as a flight. Witnesses reported that the first section, composed of the two F8F-1, Bearcats, taxied down runway 18, turned toward the southwest, and stopped, and the lead airplane in the second section, composed of the F4U-4, N71 2RD, and the F4U-5, N179PT, overran the first section, while the two airplanes were still on the runway. |
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Source(s): Chapman, John & Goodall, Geoff, Edited by Paul Coggan - Warbirds Directory,Warbirds Worldwide Ltd., Mansfield, England, 1989. Goodall, Geoff - Warbirds Directory-4th Edition, 2003. www.ntsb.gov Photo Source(s): Unknown. FMAH Collection |
