What happened
On July 24, 1998, a P-51D Mustang, registration F-AZFI, departed from La Roche-sur-Yon aerodrome, bound for Ancenis for an aerial display. After takeoff, the pilot retracted the landing gear and performed a 180-degree left turn. While climbing at an altitude between 150 and 250 meters, the pilot initiated a left barrel roll.
The maneuver began normally, but while the aircraft was inverted, it entered a heavy dive. Although the pilot managed to pull the aircraft into a descending half-loop and regained a positive pitch attitude, the flight path remained downward. The aircraft struck a cornfield approximately 300 meters southeast of the runway threshold and subsequently collided with a tree-lined embankment. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, resulting in two fatalities (the pilot and one passenger).