Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Reno/Stead Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Reno, Nevada 89506
Friday, September 14, 2007 10:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilots were participating in a low-level aerial race around pylon delineated course. Due to the wind conditions, the pilots departed in a scattered array, and then flew a teardrop pattern to begin the race. The Deluca-Owl airplane was in the lead as the group of airplanes reached the starting pylon. At the first pylon the Owl entered a left bank as the Cassutt airplane passed it on the outside and below. In this position, it would have been very difficult for the pilot of the Owl to see the Cassutt. The Cassutt was then ahead of the Owl as it continued to bank around the pylon. The Owl and the Cassutt collided at this point, and the Cassutt rolled and impacted the ground. The Owl pitched up and the pilot landed it on the side of a runway. According to race requirements, "An aircraft overtaken must not in any way impede or interfere with a faster overtaking plane. The overtaking pilot must keep the overtaken aircraft in sight at all times during the pass. An aircraft overtaking a slower aircraft will not pass between that aircraft and a pylon and will pass on the outside until the over taken aircraft is extremely wide and can be kept in sight at all times during the pass by the overtaking pilot." According to race personnel, there are no specifications for passing above or below a slower aircraft.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilots of both aircraft to maintain an adequate visual lookout and clearance from one another during a low altitude aerial race.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/14/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1000 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Reno |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89506 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 393953N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1195211W |
| Event Location Airport | Reno/Stead Airport |
| 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 | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5050 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 956 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RNO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4415 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 2 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24046 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Airport Operations |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 14 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2008 3:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-RNO-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1VD | N11XR |
| NTSB Number | SEA07FA264A | SEA07FA264B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Substantial | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Deluca-Owl | Tuttle Cassutt |
| Aircraft Model | OR-71 | IIIM |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | V102 | H-1 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2007 12:00AM | Jun 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 340.6 | -- |
| ELT Installed | No | No |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Jason S. Somes | Valley Air Service Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- | 5103 Hubler Lane |
| Aircraft Owner City | Simi Valley | Caldwell |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93063 | 83605 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | -- | Gary Hubler |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | -- | Caldwell |
| Operator State | -- | ID |
| Operator Country | -- | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- | 83605 |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| 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) | Air Race/Show | Air Race/Show |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 4SD | 4SD |
| Departure City | Reno/Stead | Reno |
| Departure State | NV | NV |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 955 | 955 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- | 4SD |
| Destination City | -- | Reno |
| Destination State | -- | NV |
| Destination Country | -- | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Other | Other |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 1 2008 12:41PM | Aug 1 2008 12:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA | NA |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |