North American F-51D accident near Malone, Wisconsin, July 26, 2005
On July 26, 2005 at about 9:00 pm local time, a North American F-51D, registered N6327T, was destroyed in an accident near Malone, Wisconsin. 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
The pilot not maintaining aircraft control and clearance from terrain for undetermined reasons during a low level maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2005 · about 9:00 pm local time · cases in 2005
- Place
- Malone, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American F-51D · all F-51Ds on the register
- Registration
- N6327T · no longer on the register · serial 44-74417A
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The warbird airplane was destroyed on impact with terrain while maneuvering. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The accident airplane was the number four airplane which departed with three other airplanes as a flight of four airplanes to perform, "the missing man" demonstration at the Oshkosh air show. The flight of four was holding in a V-shaped formation on the east side of Lake Winnebago at 2,000 feet above ground level. The flight was told by the airshow air boss that the hold would be about another 15 minutes. The flight leader called a formation change to four airplanes in trail and the flight performed a ground reference maneuver called lazy eights. During the lazy eight maneuver, the flight realized that the number four airplane was not in trail and began a search for it. An on-scene investigation revealed no pre-impact anomalies with the engine or airframe. Control cable continuity was established from the flight controls to the cabin area of the fuselage. No evidence of pilot impairment or incapacitation was found.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,650 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,208.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 10,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce V-1650-7 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSH Oshkosh WI at 8:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft; a few clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from FLD, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N6327T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6327T: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- North American F-51 54 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- North American 1,297 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls-Royce V-1650-7 54 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Wittman Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 226 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6327T 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI05FA197.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.