Accident Details
On March 29, 2020, at 1518 central daylight time, a Muse P51D airplane, registration N151JD, was destroyed when it struck terrain near Mesquite, Texas. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight Path and Witness Observations
Witnesses reported that the pilot took off and turned to a right crosswind in the traffic pattern, followed shortly thereafter by a turn to downwind. The airplane then entered a gradually steepening right turn before transitioning to a steep nose-down attitude that continued until impact with terrain.
A review of Automated Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that after takeoff, the airplane entered a right traffic pattern and leveled off at about 1,800 ft mean sea level (msl) on crosswind before beginning a turn to downwind. At approximately 1518:47, the airplane entered a descending right turn from about 1,700 ft msl. The final data point was recorded at 1518:53 at an altitude of about 900 ft msl. The average descent rate over the last 6 seconds of data was approximately 8,000 ft per minute.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. However, the examination was limited by the extent of the impact and postimpact fire damage.
Toxicology testing performed at the Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory found no drugs of abuse.
Pilot and Flight History
The owner/builder reported that the accident occurred during the third flight of the airplane. The plan was for the pilot to conduct airwork in the local area and to gather data to assist in determining airplane fuel consumption. After the second flight, the pilot informed the builder that he had inadvertently moved the fuel selector to the OFF position while attempting to change tanks. He was able to correct the situation and had no further difficulties. A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot had cut the second flight short because continuous right rudder input was required. For the accident flight, the pilot took off with full right rudder trim to counteract the right turning tendency.