link This is a video of a landing accident at the airshow with 2 P-51's trying to do a section formation landing. Disturbing video- the pilot in the green Mustang was killed, probably instantly. They don't need the NTSB to figure out what went wrong here: Formation flying 101. The wingman should have been stepped down on lead, not up. In any kind of section landing, the last guy in formation needs to touch down first, so he doesn't run over the guy ahead of him, which is exactly what happened here. This is what happens when you have people with more money than fucking experience flying these old warbirds. It's a goddamn shame.
Especially considering how few are still flying. I remember going to airshows with six or more P-51s as a kid.
Aw, crap, and it was a B-model that was totalled too. There are over 100 Ds around, but only a couple of razorback Bs.
Looks like the trailing guy saw what was happening just as they came in contact (looks like he wouldn't have been able to see over the plane's nose until that moment), then reflexively tried to pull up. At that low speed all pulling up did was cause the plane to flip up and over. If he hit the throttle too, engine torque would have also caused him to roll over suddenly.
Looking closer, he DID try to pull up - you can see his tailwheel slam down as he pulls up-elevator - but he'd already snagged his wing on the lead plane at the same moment. The impact made him spin to the right and kept the right wing down, what little lift he still had on the left, and his nose-up attitude flipped him over.
