Obscure Aviation Question - Paul Mantz

Factual Questions
1

Anyone who’s heard of famed movie pilot Paul Mantz knows that he died in a crash on the last day of filming Flight of the Phoenix; the airplane broke up on landing or takeoff.

But what was the cause of the crash? Structural failure? Mechanical failure? Pilot error? Alcohol?

2

The “Phoenix” (actually cobbled from a C-82, an AT-6, and a Navion) crashed on a landing when a wheel caught a lump of dirt. Here are some pics of it. Filming was completed with an O-47.

3

Wow. Thanks for the link.