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| Date: | Thursday 13 April 1944 |
| Time: | 16:33 |
| Type: |  North American P-51B-7NA Mustang |
| Owner/operator: | 336th FSqn /4th FGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 43-6913 |
| MSN: | 104-24941 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1/2 mile west of RAF Debden /AAF Sta.356, Essex, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Debden /AAF Sta.356 |
| RAF Debden, Essex |
This aircraft, coded VF-T, was the famous "Shangri-La" flown by the USAAF ace Captain Don
(Dominic) S. Gentile.
Returning to base after a Ramrod operation over Europe, Capt. Gentile made a very low run over the dispersal for the benefit of press and photographers who were waiting for him.
During this run the Mustang's propeller tips and air-scoop struck the ground. Gentile pulled up to 400 or 500 feet but found that he could not maintain height owing to the propeller damage. He was forced to carry out an immediate belly landing in a ploughed field nearby.
Shangri-La's back was broken in the crash and the aircraft was written off.
The accident was judged to be 100% the result of pilot error and Don Gentile was removed from combat operations and sent home to the USA.
Sources:
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp
- JF Baugher
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Mar-2011 11:58 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 25-Mar-2011 17:17 | angels one five | Updated [Operator, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Jan-2012 09:33 | Uli Elch | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 09-Jan-2012 16:34 | angels one five | Updated [Operator, Location, ] |
| 19-Jan-2012 06:06 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, ] |
| 10-Sep-2013 05:26 | angels one five | Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative, ] |
| 26-Mar-2020 21:39 | DG333 | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator, ] |
| 21-Apr-2020 08:23 | AlLach | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 10-Jun-2022 12:20 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Location, Operator, ] |
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