Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Reno/Stead Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Reno, Nevada 89506
Tuesady, September 15, 1987 14:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DRG A PRACTICE FLT IN A FORMULA ONE RACER BFR THE RENO AIR RACES, THE ENG LOST PWR AFTER 4 LAPS WHEN THE ACFT WAS AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 40' AGL. THE PLT MANEUVERED TO LND ON A RWY IN WINDS THAT WERE VARIABLE & GUSTY. A WITNESS RPRTD THE PLT MADE AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN, WHILE MANEUVERING TO LND, THEN THE ACFT 'APPEARED TO STALL, SNAP ROLL TO THE RIGHT AND DIVE VERTICALLY INTO THE GROUND.' NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND DRG AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE. THE FUEL & OIL TANKS RUPTURED DRG IMPACT. NO EVIDENCE OF STAIN OR ODOR WAS NOTED & THE FUEL TANK WAS DRY; HOWEVER, 1 PERSON RPRTD HE WITNESSED THE 'DIP STICKING' OF THE FUEL TANK BFR THE ACDNT & SAID FUEL WAS AT THE 3/4 LVL. THE PLT HAD 3 YRS EXPERIENCE OF FLYING FORMULA ONE RACERS. ON THE ACDNT FLT HE WAS CHECKING A NEWLY INSTALLED ENG. ON THE DAY BFR THE ACDNT, HE MADE A DEAD-STICK LNDG AT THE SAME ARPT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/15/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | RENO |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89506 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | RENO/STEAD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 4SD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 5046 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1452 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 140 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RNO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4412 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1232 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 15 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1847 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 34535 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 20 2011 4:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5JG |
| NTSB Number | SEA87LA188 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MERCER |
| Aircraft Model | OWL RACER 65-2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | OWL RACER |
| Aircraft Serial Number | JM-1 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 121 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DENTON, HARVEY D |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3 WAINWRIGHT PL |
| Aircraft Owner City | MILL VALLEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94941 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JEFFEREY SAWYER & CO. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1935 N. MARSHALL |
| Operator City | EL CAJON |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92020 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 4SD |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1420 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 20 2011 4:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 32 |
| Runway Length | 8080 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |