Sad Day in the Warbird Community - Lost a P-40 and its Pilot

[t6dpilot]

A very sad day indeed. I do not know what happened other than what is listed in the reporter's story pasted below. The sad thing is, I do know the pilot and his son. I delivered that P-40 to the new owner after he purchased it a few years ago and also had the previledge to fly formation with his son in the Mustang. I posted pictures of flying it here a couple of years ago. They are great guys and very accomplished pilots in the warbird community. I hate when I hear these events - when you are involved long enough, you inevitably lose friends. Please do not ask me how I know, but I do...

You know, when I patted that -40 on the chin cowling after my last flight thanking her for delivering me safely all those hours, I had a very strong feeling that something bad was going to happen someday. It brought tears to my eyes that I had to hide from the new owner. I just could not explain it, but I felt a profound sense of sadness. I found out that that weekend he had a forced landing that could have been very, very bad, but was not - luckily. Now this. Dammit I hate when this happens. My heart goes out to the pilot's family and especially his son. God speed Bob and may you always have blue skies and tail winds.

A vintage World War II plane crashed in the Atlantic near Fire Island
Sunday, killing its sole occupant, a seasoned aviator who was practicing
for an upcoming air show, officials said.

Robert Baranaskas, 61, of Northport, took off from Brookhaven Calabro
Airport at 1:09 p.m. in his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a single-engine
fighter plane. Sixteen minutes later, the olive green fighter spun out
of the sky, crashing into the water 300 yards off the beach at Smith
Point County Park, airport and Coast Guard officials said.

Baranaskas' body had not been recovered but a recovery team continued
the search last night.

The victim's son, Chris Baranaskas, 28, who often performed in his own
vintage fighter plane, saw his father go down, police said. On the
beach, he was serving as his father's spotter - a person on the ground
who communicates with the pilot and warns of any other aircraft in the
area.

Mike Biedenkapp, 30, of Patchogue, was watching the fighter plane from a
parking lot near the beach when he saw the plane take a nose-dive.

"He climbed up, then came down like a corkscrew," said Biedenkapp, who
ran toward the beach when he saw the plane disappear behind the dunes.

Witnesses saw a puff of black smoke, then the plane hit the water,
sending up a 20-foot splash.

"There was a really loud noise," said Bryan Binder, of Sayville, who was
surfing about 50 yards away and paddled over to try to help.

Some locals grabbed boats and hit the water. But amid the debris, they
found no sign of the pilot.

The Coast Guard, the Mastic Beach Fire Department, Suffolk police marine
and aviation bureaus and the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air
National Guard were among the responders, said Suffolk police Det. Sgt.
Thomas Groneman.

A strong current and murky waters were hampering the search effort, he
said.

A representative from the Federal Aviation Administration was on the
scene Sunday, and the National Transportation Safety Board is expected
to begin its investigation this morning, officials from those agencies
said.

Jim Peters, an FAA spokesman, said the aircraft was "properly
registered" and "legal in what he was doing."

Personal aircraft must be registered with the FAA, and registration
requires a certification that the aircraft is safe to operate, Peters
said.

Baranaskas and his son, who owns and flies a P-51 Mustang, together
founded Warbirds Over Long Island, an organization devoted to flying and
celebrating World War II-era fighter planes.

A calendar on the group's Web site lists their next scheduled air show
at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, from April 24 to
26.

Baranaskas and his son housed their planes in a hangar at Calabro
Airport operated by Northeast Air Park, an aviation company based at the
airport, Calabro manager Jim Falbo said.

About four vintage fighter planes are housed at Calabro, he said.

"He was a nice guy, a well-liked pilot," Falbo said, pointing to the
Warbirds Web site.

On the site, photos showed Baranaskas soaring in his olive-green
Warhawk, a sharp-toothed mouth snarling on its nose, and his son's
silver Mustang not far behind.

God Speed, Bob. You were a true friend.

[Tim Hancock]

Sorry to hear that Scott. I love those old warbirds..... keep em flying.

[widgeon13]

Sad day for sure.

[rouxroux]

It really hurts to hear of this loss. My prayers for the family and the community.

[widgeon13]

I just realized after going to their website that Vinny Nasta, who died at Rhinebeck last year was also a member of the Warbirds over Long Island team.

Both very unfortunate events.

[tabs]

My bet is that the pilot had a Heart Attack...

Also I met a man years ago who RESTORED a P 40, sold it and the new owners promptly brought the plane in for a wheels UP landing. Needless to say the previous owner was not happy with events. I am wondering if this is the same plane?

[willtel]

That is a shame. At least he went out doing what he loved and the accident didn't occur at an air show. Terrible that his son had to witness it.

[t6dpilot]

Tabs, heart attack could have been it for sure. Unfortunately, no one will know. We lost a very experienced and well liked Mustang pilot at Oshkosh in '05 - a good friend of our Midwest Warbird community (in his 70's I think). I was there with the P-40. We were all holding in different locations to do our "strafing" runs. We finish with the airshow and are told upon landing that one of the Mustangs is missing. It was our friend - basically went straight in, so not much left. He was in the #4 position and no one saw him depart the flight. He was a very conservative pilot and the only thing we can think of is a medical issue.

Another of our MW friends crashed in IN. Another older fellow was up practicing stalls and stuff - up high because a Mustang can burn up 1500' fast in a full stall, drop a wing condition. We think medical.

Similiar thing happened many years ago to our NATA T6 airshow leader. He was flying formation with another 'six and suddenly pitched up and went in without contact. We all figured a medical issue, but in these instances, you will never know. Sadly, he took a passenger with him. Medical could be a cause/factor in all of these, but we will never know.

The P-40 that crashed is not the one to which you refer, Tabs. I think that one came out of MN or crashed in MN - something like that. I vaguely remember that deal. IIRC, that was a P-40 that had been restored, but not to the standard that a lot of these birds are today. The one to which I am referring had terrible overheating problems and it ended up in a field shortly after a newish owner purchased it. Not sure if it was the same one, but there aren't that many around, so I bet it is.

[Rot 911]

Sad, but it beats the hell out of dying of cancer or some other lingering disease.

[Eric 951]

Very sad...One of my favorite childhood memories is watching the Confederate Air Force do a "Tora Tora Tora" re-enactment at the Greensburg Air Show

[Heel n Toe]

*sigh*

[t6dpilot]

John R, that's my girl. I believe that is Bob flying her. God that was a sweet bird. So long my friends...

[Heel n Toe]

I've always loved the P-40... I hate to think that another one (with pilot) is gone.

[Cornpanzer]

Hate to hear that Scott. Bad news on so many levels!

[CurtEgerer]

Very sorry to hear about your friend, Scott. I remember those fotos.

PS: Let's touch base soon regarding our upcoming trip west!

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by t6dpilot

The P-40 that crashed is not the one to which you refer, Tabs. I think that one came out of MN or crashed in MN - something like that. I vaguely remember that deal. IIRC, that was a P-40 that had been restored, but not to the standard that a lot of these birds are today.

If the P-40 in question came out of MN, I'm 90% that it had to be a Ron Fagen bird. I stumbled into his Granite Falls shop Thanksgiving weekend 2005 when I saw the top two blades of a P-51 (very distinct) interupting the horizon...I couldn't believe my eyes when I got off the highway and over to the GF airport....One P51, one P38, one P-40 together, one P-40 undergoing nut and bolt restoration, one P-40 fuselage resting against a hangar wall (came from the USSR some how)...assorted other planes. Mr. Fagen was a complete gentlemen to me, a complete stranger. I was relieved to read it wasn't him that had lost his life. God speed to the pilot.

[onewhippedpuppy]

RIP. It's always a shame to see a rare piece of history destroyed, even more so when the pilot goes with it.

[t6dpilot]

Yes, I believe that the P-40 that crashed in MN might have been Mr. Fagen's airplane - I think. Mr. Baranaskas' P-40 is not that one. That P-40 was restored to the absolute highest standard in very accurate flat (but durable) period correct olive drab. The restoration was completed in 1991 and was the best P-40 in the world. I think there were only 12 flying at the time. When I flew her, there were about 400 very well maintained hours on the clock and she flew every bit as good as she looked. I think even then there were only 19 airworthy examples.

P-40's have a problem with overheating when you are idling on the ground for extended periods of time. Airshows can be a real challenge and stressful with all the staging time and the risk of overheating. You see, the P-40 is water/glycol cooled and needs airflow over the coolers to keep temps in check. This one never had that problem. Always ran cool. The one that crashed in MN (again, I think that was the state) some years ago (Fagen's?) had very poor cooling capacity due to a poor system restoration (maybe?).

Last night, I had to watch some video shot during OSH 2005. I should post some of that on YouTube, I suppose. I will never forget the trip delivering the airplane to the Baranaskas' that following January. It was severe clear the whole way, I had 50 kt tail winds, flew over Manhattan just above the Class B airspace at 7,500', and could see all of Long Island and LI Sound. I will never forget flying that last low pass, pitching up to a perfect 3 point landing, and taxing up to Bob and his son Chris, who had huge smiles on thier faces. The next custodians of history... I really feel for Chris.

[t6dpilot]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

RIP. It's always a shame to see a rare piece of history destroyed, even more so when the pilot goes with it.

Me too. Losing fellow pilots hurts. I lost two very close friends this way and it friggin' rips your heart out. I guarantee that parts of 9837A will fly again - if not the whole airframe.

[charleskieffner]

from the aviation community here, our condolences.