North American F-51D accident near Malone, New York, July 2, 1995
On July 2, 1995 at about 6:45 pm local time, a North American F-51D, registered N51KF, was destroyed in an accident near Malone, New York (Malone-Dufort airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper use of the flight controls, which resulted in an accelerated stall, an in-flight loss of control, and an uncontrolled descent to the ground. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's decision to fly the airplane in an airshow environment without completing an entire checkout program.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1995 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Malone, New York · Malone-Dufort · 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
- N51KF · no longer on the register · serial 45-11546
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE F-51 WAS THE LEAD AIRPLANE OF A FLIGHT OF TWO AT AN AIRSHOW. AFTER COMPLETING A PASS OVER THE RUNWAY, THE TWO AIRPLANES SEPARATED, AND THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ENTERED A 90 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE TURN, THE NOSE DROPPED, AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED WHILE IN A RIGHT ROTATION, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. A VIDEO TAPE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS REVIEWED BY PERSONNEL OF THE COMPANY, WHO TRAINED THE PILOT IN THE F-51. THEY REPORTED THAT THE ACTIONS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE CONSISTENT WITH AN ACCELERATED STALL AND LACK OF RECOVERY BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. ADDITIONALLY, THEY REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT COMPLETED A CHECKOUT IN THE F-51, THOUGH HE HAD AN ESTIMATED 150 HOURS IN THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE HELD ABOUT TWICE THE NORMAL AMOUNT OF FUEL. IT HAD BEEN FUELED TO CAPACITY BEFORE DEPARTURE, WHICH RESULTED IN A HIGHER THAN NORMAL GROSS WEIGHT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,926 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,575 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 31, 1995; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Packard V-1650 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAL at 6:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from MSS, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC95LA138.