Two P-51 Mustangs have been lost, one pilot killed and one injured in a crash at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh. For a dramatic, but sad, photograph of the aircraft colliding while landing go here.
Reporting on the crash, aero-news.net says the pilots appeared to be attempting a formation landing after performing a simulated air race. The report includes video of the accident.
To an aviation enthusiast like me, there is nothing more enjoyable than the sight and sound of warbirds flying, particularly the beautiful Merlin-engined Mustang, but I am concerned that air show crashes like these deplete a scare resource.
The Mustang is not yet an endangered species, but many warbirds are among the last of their kind flying, and one day may exist only in museums, stuffed and mounted like extinct birds.
Loss of life is cause enough for sadness. In our demands for excitement and entertainment, air show pilots and spectators alike need to respect the scarcity of these aircraft.