The P-51D Mustang “Charlotte’s Chariot II”, registered N251CS (Photo Alan Wilson (CC BY-SA 2.0))
The warbird community is mourning the loss of Dan Fordice, who was killed on May 12, 2026, in the crash of his North American P-51D Mustang “Charlotte’s Chariot II” near Tallulah-Vicksburg Regional Airport, Louisiana. Fordice was a respected warbird pilot and philantropist. The circumstances of the crash are currently under investigation by the NTSB.
A veteran of both the U.S. Army and the Mississippi Army National Guard, Dan Fordice was well known within the historic aviation world for his passion for preserving the memory of the Second World War through flying aircraft and educational projects. He served on the General Staff of the Commemorative Air Force and founded the Southern Heritage Air Foundation, dedicated to preserving veterans’ stories and aviation history.
Fordice’s Mustang, “Charlotte’s Chariot II”, was a North American P-51D-30-NA Mustang carrying serial number 44-74977. After leaving USAF service, it was registered N5448V by Wayne Clevenger in 1957. It was owned by several owners until 2009, when it was purchased by Fordice and re-registered N251CS and repainted as “Charlotte’s Chariot II”, a Mustang flown during World War II by Lieutenant Cary Salter, a pilot of the 354th Fighter Group.
Lieutenant Cary Salter, a pilot of the 354th Fighter Group with his P-51 Mustang (FT-π), serial number 44-63747) nicknamed “Charlotte’s Chariot II”. (Photo USAAF via Cary Salter)
Friends and fellow pilots remembered Fordice as a passionate advocate for veterans and historic aviation. In a statement released after the accident, the Commemorative Air Force described him as “a passionate warbird pilot” who believed historic aircraft were “powerful tools for education, remembrance, and honoring freedom.”
The loss of both Dan Fordice and “Charlotte’s Chariot II” is a tragic reminder of the risks involved in operating vintage aircraft, even in the hands of experienced pilots. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go to Dan Fordice’s family, friends, and the many members of the warbird community who knew and flew alongside him.
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