Amateur-built P51D MUSTANG accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, August 24, 1997
On August 24, 1997 at about 3:26 pm local time, a amateur-built P51D MUSTANG, registered N151MS, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida (St Lucie County Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s); and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while starting to maneuver for an emergency landing, which resulted in loss of aircraft control (stall) and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1997 · about 3:26 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · St Lucie County Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built P51D MUSTANG P51D MUSTA
- Registration
- N151MS · registry record · serial MLB-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a witness, the airplane took off from runway 32 and climbed to about 500 ft above the ground, then the engine lost power. Witnesses reported that the airplane banked left in a nose high attitude, then it nosed over and spiraled or plummeted to the ground. The engine was examined after the accident. After removing the spinner, propeller, vacuum pump, and fuel pump, all which were impact damaged, the engine rotated freely. Suction and thumb compression were confirmed for all cylinders.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,020 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 962 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 439 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1997; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR at 3:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,756 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:32 pm from FPR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.