North American F-51D accident near Mound, Louisiana, May 12, 2026

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

On May 12, 2026, at 1519 central daylight time, a North American F-51D airplane, N251CS, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at the Vicksburg Tallulah Regional Airport (TVR), Mound, Louisiana. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to witnesses, the pilot was practicing an aerobatic routine. At the conclusion of the planned maneuvers, the pilot performed an additional maneuver and the airplane impacted terrain. Witnesses reported that the engine sounded normal before they heard the sound of impact. One witness, who was in a nearby hangar, reported seeing flying debris after he heard the sound of impact. A witness captured the accident sequence on a cellular phone video. According to a witness and the video, the airplane was seen climbing while conducting a maneuver consistent with a Split-S. While inverted, the airplane entered a dive and continued toward the ground in a nose low attitude. The airplane started a bank to the right just before impacting terrain in a nose level, right-wing-low attitude. The engine is heard throughout the entire video up to the sound of impact. The aerobatic routine was conducted within an FAA approved aerobatic practice area along the west side of runway 18/36 within the boundaries of the aerobatic box defined as a rectangular area 6,200 ft long by 2,600 ft wide, from the surface to 3,000 ft above ground level. The aerobatic practice area was active at the time of the accident. The airplane impacted a drainage embankment about 450 ft west of runway 18/36. The ground scars at the initial impact site were consistent with a high speed, nose level, and right-wing-low attitude. The debris field extended about 920 ft northeast of the initial impact site and was about 200 ft at its widest point. The debris field extended across a 30 ft wide drainage ditch with about 2 to 3 ft of water. All major components of the airplane were found within the debris field. The cockpit and majority of the fuselage were about 520 ft from the initial impact site as seen in Figure 1. A propeller blade was embedded in the ground at the initial impact site. The engine separated from the airframe and was found about 690 ft from the initial impact site. The cockpit came to rest on its right side on a 300° heading. The debris field was generally aligned on a 40° heading. Figure 1. Overview of accident site with major components depicted. Flight control continuity was confirmed for both ailerons, the elevator, and the rudder. Cable separations were consistent with overload separation due to impact damage. The majority of the fuel system was fragmented and destroyed. Both wing tank fuel bladders were breached and contained no fuel; however, fuel blight was present along the debris path on both sides of the drainage ditch. The four propeller blades exhibited leading edge damage and S-bending consistent with the production of engine power at the time of impact. On site examination of the airframe and engine found no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A Garmin GI275 and GTN650 capable of recording data were collected on-site. The witness video of the accident and recording devices were sent to the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorders laboratory for further investigation. The airplane was recovered to a secure facility.

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.

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