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Pilot killed in crash is identified
Oaks Christian coach died while landing vintage plane
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More from CamarilloA pilot killed in a weekend accident at the Camarillo Airport was identified Monday as John McKittrick, a 42-year-old Thousand Oaks resident and assistant football coach at Oaks Christian School.
McKittrick was killed Sunday while landing a vintage P-51D Mustang.
Authorities said the World War II-era aircraft flipped over near the south end of the runway shortly after 8 a.m.
McKittrick was pronounced dead at 8:35 a.m.
The plane "bounced several times, shot off the runway to the left, and came to rest and flipped over" while landing, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Gregor said McKittrick gave no sign of trouble before the fatal landing. It was his first solo flight of the aircraft.
Pilots and flying enthusiasts at the Camarillo Airport speculated Monday that too much engine torque caused the powerful warplane to flip over.
"In these big airplanes, the plane wants to rotate in the opposite direction around the propeller," said Casey deBree, a past president of the Commemorative Air Force chapter based at the Camarillo Airport.
"These warbirds are a handful. They are very high-powered, and you can get into trouble very easily."
McKittrick was an experienced pilot, said Jan Hethcock, athletic director at Oaks Christian School in Thousand Oaks, where McKittrick worked as an assistant football coach.
"We're all stunned by what happened," Hethcock said Monday. "It was a freakish accident, I guess."
Hethcock described McKittrick "as a good friend, a great dad, an excellent husband," and someone who loved Oaks Christian.
McKittrick was involved in numerous activities at the school, Hethcock said.
McKittrick's wife, Michele, teaches physical fitness at the school. He also has a son and a daughter who are students there.
"He is going to be missed tremendously," Hethcock said.
The P-51D Mustang fighter planes were used to escort bombers over Germany during World War II.
Worldwide, there are only about 40 P-51s still flying, and they can sell for more than $1.5 million, deBree said.
"The age of a plane really has nothing to do with its airworthiness," Gregor said.
"If an aircraft is properly maintained, it's perfectly safe to fly."
Of the 290 fatal incidents that have involved general aviation in California during the past decade, only two were related to vintage planes, according to a National Transportation Safety Board database.
Posted by ecarson1958 on July 17, 2007 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As a flight instructor myself, I can't imagine how this CFI of the P-51 must feel. He has the responsibility to determine when the pilot is capable of flying the plane alone. It should be noted also that not only is the CFI allowing the pilot to fly alone, he is responsible for the safety of the public on the ground if an accident occurs. Thankfully there were no other injuries because of the crash. I had a student who even obtained his license and crashed while landing a plane. Fortunately, only the plane was damaged. I hope the CFI can work through the anguish he might experience in the future.
Posted by fishnpilot on July 17, 2007 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
you are speaking out of turn here, ecarson, with out knowing all the facts. this pilot had the best instructor a p51 pilot could have, it takes a special person to be able to even give instruction in these difficult to fly and sensitive warbirds. he has at least 30 yrs experience with p51's. he was being thoughtful and considerate of the public (on the ground) as you mentioned as well. Camarillo is relatively sparse and has lots of room for training. furthermore, he (Mckittrick) was given orders to stay in the pattern and do one circuit to a full stop. no leaving the pattern. the student had over 37 hrs dual instruction (in this plane!) at this point and had not shown any bad tendancies. the problem is, you cannot always predict what a students response with be to any mistake he may make. you can only hope they use good common sense as well as their acquired skills to correct it. sometimes it leads to an unfortunate event such as this, and unless you know exactly what happened you should not be so quick to criticise. i have had similar experiences with students in specilized aircraft and thousands of dual given with a tally of more 10,000hrs in odd types or non-conventional planes. this instructor was actually being very cautious in this instance and knows the plane and pilot well. none of us have a crystal ball and we all feel very bad when it comes to this end. there is no sense in inciting people's negative opinions when you don't know of what you speak.
Posted by rebel123 on July 17, 2007 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My father was a pilot and owned a number of planes in his time. He considered the P51 to be not just one of the most difficult to fly, but one of the most unforgiving.
Posted by justareader on July 17, 2007 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
fisnpilot: I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about these planes or flying. But I can tell you that when I was reading the blogs, I did not read any negativity in ecarsons'. I did read that he understood the tremendous responsibility that goes along with training and the anguish that the CFI (I'm assuming that's the instuctor...) might be feeling because of that responsibility. Unless you two know each other and it's a personal issue - relax. It appears you also understand the tremendous responsibility and can empathize with the anguish the instructor may feel. So I guess you and ecarson have a lot in common...
Posted by DL on July 18, 2007 at 7:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
With all due respect: it seems there should be another forum for these exchanges. While it might be compelling to analyze responsibility and discuss how this happened... This I know: this was a good man, who loved his family and who was loved by them. As a relative, I can tell you that the loss is catastrophic and the ultimate break down of who feels bad, who made a mistake, or what every outside observer may think is of no comfort or help to the family and friends of John. However, it is hard to go to this page, to read the story (grappling with reality) and see the back and forth about who may or may not have made "mistakes", shown "bad tendencies", etc... there is enough anguish and loss to go around here and the loved ones of all involved should be considered in these entries. thank you.
Posted by LoveDoggies on July 18, 2007 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family. And may John rest in peace.
Posted by TBC on July 18, 2007 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am in complete agreement with DL. This family has been devastated by the loss of John. And as his longtime friend, I can assure you he would be the last person to engage in speculation and blame. He was a fantastic human being who lived for God and family and was always eager to share his gratitude for the blessings in his life.
Posted by Gullman on July 18, 2007 at 7:22 p.m.
(This thread was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by SantaMariaResident on July 19, 2007 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree DL, I don't know the poor guy who lost his life, but really people, there is a family devastated by the sudden loss, how about just a "my prayers go out to the family". I'm so sorry for your loss, I have 2 friends myself who fly and I know I get scared for them when they fly.
Posted by ntsqd on July 20, 2007 at 7:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just because you can say something doesn't mean that you should. That seems to have been lost in the age of the internet blogs etc.
Condolences to friends and family.
Posted by ebrockway on July 20, 2007 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here's an awesome tribute picture somebody did for John McKittrick somebody did, it's downloadable. Don't know if it's him flying or not.
Posted by justareader on July 20, 2007 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It seems he was a great guy and does have a great legacy and memories that will bless many for years to come. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved including family and friends.
Posted by wjbiii on July 20, 2007 at 11:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Does anyone think he was having the very time of his life, flying the Mustang, or what? I mean, how many people actually get to do that?
God bless that guy.
My heart's out to friends and family. Bless you all.
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