The Friday air race demonstration at EAA Venture came to a tragic ending when two P-51 Mustangs collided during landing.
Gerald S. Beck, 58, of Wahpeton, N.D., was killed when his aircraft flipped over. The other pilot, Casey Odegaard, 24, was able to walk away from the accident although his aircraft landed on its nose.
According to preliminary information released by the EAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, it appears that Odegaard’s aircraft was in the landing rollout when Beck’s aircraft, still in the air, collided with either the left wing or horizontal stabilizer. The impact kicked up the tail of the landed P-51 and it pitched forward onto its nose.
Beck’s P-51, still in the air, rolled sharply to the right and hit the ground inverted. It then caught fire.
The warbird show slated for that afternoon was cancelled after the accident.
The accident is under investigation.