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Homebuilt “P-51 Mustang” Crash Results in Fatality

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Key Takeaways:

  • An amateur-built Loehle 5151 Mustang crashed in a Chehalis, Washington parking lot shortly after departing from the Chehalis-Centralia airport.
  • The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the single-seat aircraft, died in the crash.
  • The airplane hit two vehicles and disintegrated, causing the vehicles to catch fire, but no one on the ground was injured.
  • The Loehle 5151 Mustang is a miniature P-51 replica constructed mostly of wood and powered by a 65 horsepower Rotax 582 engine.
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An amateur built Loehle 5151 Mustang, designed as a miniature version of the highly popular North American P-51, crashed in Chehalis, Washington, on Tuesday. The pilot, who was the only occupant of the single-seat airplane, died in the crash. The airplane had just departed from the Chehalis-Centralia airport and crashed in a parking lot.

Chehalis’ police chief Glenn Schaffer told the Associated Press that the airplane hit two vehicles on the ground and “pretty much disintegrated” on impact. While the vehicles caught fire, nobody on the ground was hurt.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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