P-51 Engine Out, Off-Airport Landing

British warbird pilot, Mark Levy, was part of a 21-airplane formation in the annual airshow at Duxford, England when the P-51 he was flying had a partial engine out. Levy recorded the entire event on a pair of point-of-view video cameras, and he shared the images, as well as his lessons learned, in a candid discussion with Richard McSpadden, Executive Director of the AOPA Air Safety Institute.

[bluhorizon]

Everyone: cool, hope he's safe
War Thunder pilots: Wha how did he not just explode what?

[Mors_Inimicis]

This particular Mustang is back flying again 👍🏻

[camdengillespie]

that final decision to break off the final turn and go for an off airport saved your life i’d say. Nobody’s gonna handle a situation like that perfectly and i’d say that was almost there. glad you’re okay and great job

[skyhigh]

Criticize? Dude can fly a P-51. That's enough for me (and most critics) to shut up right there. He put a dead-stick one on the deck and lived? Yeah.... Bravo, Sir.

[rayackley]

I had a VERY similar situation play out, albeit not in a Mustang :-). Partial engine failure and almost made it to the runway but had to land in a field <1 mile short of the runway. For those who have not been in this scenario in real life, is an extremely stressful scenario and any amount of rational thought is difficult even with ample training. Kudos to Mark Levy for his handling of this scenario. He survived and apparently the aircraft did too. Thumbs up man.

[MackieLevyn]

When the canopy cover flew off, i thought the entire plane flipped; that would’ve been bad.

[thewalkindude]

I've been controlling planes for almost 30 years. I'm always amazed at how calm seasoned pilots are when in a stressful situation like this. Nerves of steel. Well done Sir.

[peng]

That one split-second decision when you turned right before the main road saved countless lives, you are a fantastic pilot.

[rickansell]

I would recommend people people watch the longer video. Especially those who are criticising his performance.

The Pilot analyses what he did wrong and what he did right and *why* he did things, right or wrong that way. He is very frank and covers what he hopes he would do differently.

For those questioning his 'right' to provide advice - he has been there, made the mistakes and now he is advising you on the traps he fell in to and why he fell into them so that others will hopefully avoid them. He also covers the errors he *didn't* make and how and why he avoided them. At no point does he claim to be Mr Perfect.

[stansbruv]

So glad this pilot is here to tell this story and walk us through his thoughts and actions during this accident.

[steveokinevo]

Wow, what an amazing video to learn from!

[stephaniedejesus]

The speed in which the situation goes from "I can't even complete the 180°" turn to "landing gear up, let's fly this to the ground" is just incredible.
I think most people they have more time in general for things. The podcast lasts way longer than the actual event and the thought process that went in to this seems like it would take longer. So grateful for the insight and video. One thing is to say "it happened so fast" and it's always another to see that while you're still processing info, this pilot is already on the ground.

[chriswilson]

Wow. That’s where all the training and flying experience comes into play. This is the first ever cockpit view of a mid air crisis I’ve ever watched and I’m so impressed. No panic, just dealt with as best as possible under the circumstances. Incredible. Well done!

[wcolby]

Any landing you can walk away from.... 👍

[MisterItchy]

The pilot (apparently) stayed calm and, yes, made a few mistakes. It's a tough call to shoot for an off-airport landing with all its dangers when the engine is teasing like that. In the last few seconds he decided that he wasn't going to clear that road, let alone make the runway, he turned away and got the gear up and wings level. Great job, Mark!

[hook]

The decision to forget about the runway and make for the field, even though it may have been late, was the mark of a seasoned pilot. Thanks a lot for the breakdown and the honesty. Your right, intermittent engine failures are a lot more dangerous than a full cut out, because that pilot will second guess his decision to commit for a nearby field. Great lessons for all of us.

[andygiles]

What an amazing calm professional pilot!!!... it’s these flyers that allow generations to see history as it should be seen!!! Thank you!!

[donaldbest]

Sometimes you are placed in a situation where there is nothing you can do except to fly the aircraft into the crash as long as you can. True in life too! Thanks so much for this inspiring video.

[christopherolsen]

Gotta love all of the arm chair experts who apparently would have done a better job--which would be really amazing since its doubtful that any of these experts have ever had the opportunity even to be a passenger in a P-51.

[apostlestumpy]

It's amazing how critical we are on events such as these after the fact!
I know with the catastrophic engine detonation I had, I'm my worst critic.
In the end, to walk away with little to no injury is the best outcome we and our families can ever wish for.
Outstanding effort by Mark.