History of Flight
On July 26, 2014, about 0842 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Thunder Mustang, registration N695HR, was destroyed by fire following a forced landing on a road near Spanish Springs, Nevada. The builder/owner/pilot was uninjured, and the passenger received minor injuries. The personal flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed.
The pilot based the airplane at Nut Tree Airport (VCB), Vacaville, California. The day before the accident, he flew from VCB to Reno/Stead Airport (RTS), Reno, Nevada. The plan was to depart with another airplane for the Oshkosh/EAA AirVenture event, with a fuel stop at Rock Springs, Wyoming, and an overnight stop at Mitchell, South Dakota.
The two airplanes, each with two persons on board, departed RTS as a flight of two. The second person on the accident airplane was not a pilot. While climbing through 10,000 feet about 8 miles northeast of RTS, and being switched over to Reno Approach control, the engine died. The pilot described the failure as immediate, without gradual onset or prior symptoms. The propeller continued to windmill. He manipulated engine controls but could not restart the engine. He did not observe any indications of the nature or cause of the failure.
Recognizing he could not return to RTS or glide to any other airport, the pilot spotted a road suitable for landing and set up a landing to the north. Shortly after touchdown, the airplane struck a northbound pickup truck, spun around, breached the fuel tank, and the left main landing gear collapsed. After stopping, both occupants egressed safely with some difficulty with the canopy. About 15 seconds later, a fire began and destroyed the airplane.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a kit-built scale version of the P-51 WWII fighter, completed in 2011. The fuselage was primarily composite. Flight controls were actuated by pushrods (elevator and ailerons) and cables (rudder). Landing gear was hydraulically operated. The 12-volt DC electrical system used two independent power sources and busses: Main (60A alternator) and Aux (20A alternator), each with its own battery. The Main bus powered lights, trim, cooling doors, flaps, and landing gear control; the Aux bus powered navigation and display units, a custom computer, and also landing gear control. An avionics bus could be powered by either system.
The engine was a custom-designed non-aviation V-12 based on a Chevrolet automotive engine, with accessories driven by serpentine belts. It had two MoTeC M-48 engine control units (ECUs), each dedicated to a cylinder bank and powered by either or both busses. Two reference sensors detected crankshaft position for each ECU. The engine was port-injected with a dedicated injector per cylinder and a single spark plug per cylinder; each ECU controlled fuel and ignition for its bank. Airplane documentation stated that if one ECU failed, the engine would continue running on the other cylinder bank for a "limp home" mode.
Wreckage and Impact Information
According to the FAA, the airplane landed on Nevada Highway 445, about 10 miles east-northeast of RTS and 6 miles north of Spanish Springs. It came to rest upright on the side of the road, facing south, with landing gear collapsed. Fire consumed or severely damaged the aircraft aft of the firewall, including the wings.
The wreckage was recovered. Several fire-damaged electronic components were examined but were too thermally damaged for data recovery. The telemetry/data recording computer was sent to the NTSB Recorders Laboratory, but no data could be obtained.
The engine remained attached to the airframe with all accessories intact but exhibited extensive thermal damage. Belts remained attached but partially consumed. The engine could be manually rotated about 1/4 turn before encountering mechanical blockage, confirming partial drive- and valve-train continuity. All spark plugs were present and appeared normal aside from contamination. Internal cylinder examination showed corrosion and fire suppressant residue. The engine-driven fuel pump was disassembled with internal components unremarkable except for rust.
No evidence of any preexisting engine or airframe mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation was observed.