On February 4, 2009, about 0852 Pacific standard time, a Douglas DC-3/65AR, N834TP, collided with terrain during takeoff at Mojave, California. The National Test Pilot School was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the student pilot were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings from impact forces. The local instructional flight was departing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
American Flight Museum Inc.. C/n 20835 was an AC-47D "Spooky" gunship that served under the 14th Air Commando Wing in Vietnam. The AC-47Ds were initially equipped with three 7.62 mm SUU-11A Gatling Miniguns; one each in two window ports on the aircraft's port side and one in the port-side open loading door. The SUU-11As were later replaced with 7.62 mm MXU-470A Gatling Miniguns made by General Electric. These guns delivered 6,000 rounds per minute.
