North American P-51D Mustang "Temptation"
From Martin Kyburz, Swiss Mustangs, here is a synopsis of the events leading up to crash:
...this ship was then sold to Switzerland and received Swiss registration HB-RCW in July 1998 (colour scheme remained unchanged), but sadly it crashed on September 3rd, 1998 in the Swiss Mountains on a ferry flight over the Alps to attend an Air Show in southern Switzerland. The pilot (a very experienced professional pilot (chief pilot of Swiss Air Ambulance) and famous aerobatics pilot, and his son (also certified pilot) were killed instantly and the a/c was totally destroyed. Cause has been determined as follows: due to bad weather, coupled with fading daylight (thus causing time-pressure), the conditions caused disorientation and while trying to do a 180 turn in a valley, they went into a high speed stall and hit ground.
The pilot had done many performances in another Swiss based P-51D (Double Trouble Two, N51EA) but this was his first flight in HB-RC
History: 44-73027 HB-RCW "Temptations"
1950: 6th Dec. RCAF 9250 No. 416 Squadron, served as "PF 250"
1959: May 20, N9146R, Trans Florida Aviation
1960: E.D. Weiner
1961: Mario Villareal / El Paso Airmotive
1965: Southwest Air Rangers
1965: Harold Barlow
1966: Haynes McClellan & John Percival
1970: Roger Wolfe, race #12
1972: N5747, Robert Guildford / Mustang Pilots Club
1974: forced landing at Mojave
1977: N5747 flown in Europe, Europe Garage Company, Phillpsburg NJ
1977: Oct 9, forced landing at Bakersfield CA - inflight fire, heavy damage
1978: N51MP, Mustang Pilots Club
1980: Restored at Chino CA using ex Philippine P-51
1980: Oct 4, Crashed, destroyed at Lancaster, CA
Rebuilt with TNI-AU airframe
1991: N51MP, William Speer, Racer #56
1992: Oct 26, Gathering of Mustangs, Santa Maria CA - bare metal
1993: F-AZJM, sold to France, Christophe Jacquart, Flies as "Temptation"
1998: sold - HB-RCW, Fritz Muller, Altrenheim Switzerland
1998: Jul 2, Oldy Air Service AF, Altrenheim Switzerland
1998: Sep 3, Fatal crash in Swiss mountains, Gothard Pass, near Erstfeld, enroute to airshow at Ambri. Pilot Christian Schweizer and his son Daniel killed in crash.
