Got a copy of the original prelim NTSB report. Its a PDF and I don't know how to post it here. If you want the original let me know and I'll email it to you. The cut and paste is hard to read. Anyone know how to post the PDF?
National Transportation Safety Board
PRELIMINARY REPORT
AVIATION
NTSB ID:
Occurrence Date:
Occurrence Type:
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION - SUBJECT TO CHANGE Page 1
Location/Time
Most Critical Injury:
Investigated By:
This space for binding
Nearest City/Place
Aircraft Information
Registration Number
State Zip Code
Aircraft Manufacturer
Local Time Time Zone
Model/Series Number
Serious Minor None
Amateur Built Aircraft?
Air Medical Transport Flight:
Fatal
Type of Aircraft:
Injury Summary:
Revenue Sightseeing Flight:
Narrative
Brief narrative statement of facts, conditions and circumstances pertinent to the accident/incident:
Printed on : 10/6/2011 9:17:47 PM
Airplane No
11 66
On September 16, 2011, about 1626 Pacific daylight time, an experimental North America P-51D,
N79111, impacted terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering at Reno Stead Airport, Reno,
Nevada. The airplane was registered to Aero-Trans Corp, Ocala, Florida, and operated by the pilot
as Race 177 under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot
sustained fatal injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Casualties on the ground
included 10 fatalities and 74 injured. As of the time of this preliminary report, eight of the
injured remain hospitalized, some in critical condition. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed
at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the local air race flight, which
departed from Reno Stead Airport about 10 minutes before the accident.
The airplane was participating in the Reno National Championship Air Races in the last event of the
day. The airplane had completed several laps and was in a steep left turn towards the home pylon
when, according to photographic evidence, the airplane suddenly banked momentarily to the left
before banking to the right, turning away from the race course, and pitching to a steep nose-high
attitude. Witnesses reported and photographic evidence indicates that a piece of the airframe
separated during these maneuvers. After roll and pitch variations, the airplane descended in an
extremely nose-low attitude and collided with the ground in the box seat area near the center of
the grandstand seating area.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation
Administration examined the wreckage on site. They documented the debris field and identified
various components of the airplane’s control system and control surfaces. The wreckage was removed
to a secure storage facility for detailed examination at a later date.
The airplane’s ground crew noted that the airplane had a telemetry system that broadcast data to a
ground station as well as recorded it to a box on board the airplane. The crew provided the ground
station telemetry data, which includes engine parameters and global positioning satellite system
data to the NTSB for analysis. The onboard data box, which sustained crush damage, was sent to the
NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder laboratory for examination. Investigators recovered pieces of a camera
housing and multiple detached memory cards from the airplane’s onboard camera that were in the
debris field. The memory cards and numerous still and video image recordings were also sent to the
Vehicle Recorders laboratory for evaluation.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Reno Air Race Association are parties to the
investigation.
Updated on Sep 23 2011 11:18AM
No No
N79111 NORTH AMERICAN/AERO CLASSICS P-51D
NTSB
Fatal
Reno NV 89506 1626 PDT
Accident
09/16/2011
WPR11MA454
This space for binding
National Transportation Safety Board
PRELIMINARY REPORT
AVIATION
NTSB ID:
Occurrence Date:
Occurrence Type:
Registration Number Aircraft Manufacturer Model/Series Number
Other Aircraft Involved
Accident Information
Aircraft Damage: Accident Occurred During:
Crew Name Certificate No. Injury
Pilot
2
3
4
5
6
Operator Information
Name
Street Address
Operator Designator Code
City
Doing Business As
State Zip Code
Observation Time (Local):
Altimeter: "Hg
Page 2
-Type of Certificate(s) Held:
Air Carrier Operating Certificate(s):
Operating Certificate:
Regulation Flight Conducted Under:
Type of Flight Operations Conducted:
Operator Certificate:
Flight Plan/Itinerary
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Last Departure Point
Destination
State Airport Identifier
State Airport Identifier
Weather Information
Investigator's Source:
Sky/Lowest Cloud Condition:
Facility ID:
Ft. AGL Visibility:
Ft. AGL
SM
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION - SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Lowest Ceiling:
On File On File Fatal
Broken 11000 10 29.92
Scattered 8500
Unknown KRNO 1555
Local Flight NV KRTS
Same as Accident/Incident Location KRTS
Unknown
Air Race/Show
Part 91: General Aviation
None
PO BOX 1476 OCALA FL 34478-1476
James K Leeward
Substantial
Accident
09/16/2011
WPR11MA454
This space for binding
National Transportation Safety Board
PRELIMINARY REPORT
AVIATION
NTSB ID:
Occurrence Date:
Occurrence Type:
Date
Wind Direction:
Weather Conditions at Accident Site:
Weather Information (Continued from page 2)
Temperature: °C Dew Point:
Wind Speed: Kts. Gusts:
Administration Data
Notification From
°C
Kts.
FAA District Office/Coordinator Investigator-In-Charge (IIC)
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION - SUBJECT TO CHANGE Page 3
FAA AVP - 100
Christine Soucy
NTSB
Howard D. Plagens
17 21 Visual Conditions
25 -2 280
Accident
09/16/2011
WPR11MA454
National Transportation Safety Board
PRELIMINARY REPORT
AVIATION
NTSB ID:
Occurrence Date:
Occurrence Type:
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION - SUBJECT TO CHANGE Page 1
Location/Time
Most Critical Injury:
Investigated By:
This space for binding
Nearest City/Place
Aircraft Information
Registration Number
State Zip Code
Aircraft Manufacturer
Local Time Time Zone
Model/Series Number
Serious Minor None
Amateur Built Aircraft?
Air Medical Transport Flight:
Fatal
Type of Aircraft:
Injury Summary:
Revenue Sightseeing Flight:
Narrative
Brief narrative statement of facts, conditions and circumstances pertinent to the accident/incident:
Printed on : 10/6/2011 9:17:47 PM
Airplane No
11 66
On September 16, 2011, about 1626 Pacific daylight time, an experimental North America P-51D,
N79111, impacted terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering at Reno Stead Airport, Reno,
Nevada. The airplane was registered to Aero-Trans Corp, Ocala, Florida, and operated by the pilot
as Race 177 under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot
sustained fatal injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Casualties on the ground
included 10 fatalities and 74 injured. As of the time of this preliminary report, eight of the
injured remain hospitalized, some in critical condition. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed
at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the local air race flight, which
departed from Reno Stead Airport about 10 minutes before the accident.
The airplane was participating in the Reno National Championship Air Races in the last event of the
day. The airplane had completed several laps and was in a steep left turn towards the home pylon
when, according to photographic evidence, the airplane suddenly banked momentarily to the left
before banking to the right, turning away from the race course, and pitching to a steep nose-high
attitude. Witnesses reported and photographic evidence indicates that a piece of the airframe
separated during these maneuvers. After roll and pitch variations, the airplane descended in an
extremely nose-low attitude and collided with the ground in the box seat area near the center of
the grandstand seating area.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation
Administration examined the wreckage on site. They documented the debris field and identified
various components of the airplane’s control system and control surfaces. The wreckage was removed
to a secure storage facility for detailed examination at a later date.
The airplane’s ground crew noted that the airplane had a telemetry system that broadcast data to a
ground station as well as recorded it to a box on board the airplane. The crew provided the ground
station telemetry data, which includes engine parameters and global positioning satellite system
data to the NTSB for analysis. The onboard data box, which sustained crush damage, was sent to the
NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder laboratory for examination. Investigators recovered pieces of a camera
housing and multiple detached memory cards from the airplane’s onboard camera that were in the
debris field. The memory cards and numerous still and video image recordings were also sent to the
Vehicle Recorders laboratory for evaluation.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Reno Air Race Association are parties to the
investigation.
Updated on Sep 23 2011 11:18AM
No No
N79111 NORTH AMERICAN/AERO CLASSICS P-51D
NTSB
Fatal
Reno NV 89506 1626 PDT
Accident
09/16/2011
WPR11MA454
This space for binding
National Transportation Safety Board
PRELIMINARY REPORT
AVIATION
NTSB ID:
Occurrence Date:
Occurrence Type:
Registration Number Aircraft Manufacturer Model/Series Number
Other Aircraft Involved
Accident Information
Aircraft Damage: Accident Occurred During:
Crew Name Certificate No. Injury
Pilot
2
3
4
5
6
Operator Information
Name
Street Address
Operator Designator Code
City
Doing Business As
State Zip Code
Observation Time (Local):
Altimeter: "Hg
Page 2
-Type of Certificate(s) Held:
Air Carrier Operating Certificate(s):
Operating Certificate:
Regulation Flight Conducted Under:
Type of Flight Operations Conducted:
Operator Certificate:
Flight Plan/Itinerary
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Last Departure Point
Destination
State Airport Identifier
State Airport Identifier
Weather Information
Investigator's Source:
Sky/Lowest Cloud Condition:
Facility ID:
Ft. AGL Visibility:
Ft. AGL
SM
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION - SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Lowest Ceiling:
On File On File Fatal
Broken 11000 10 29.92
Scattered 8500
Unknown KRNO 1555
Local Flight NV KRTS
Same as Accident/Incident Location KRTS
Unknown
Air Race/Show
Part 91: General Aviation
None
PO BOX 1476 OCALA FL 34478-1476
James K Leeward
Substantial
Accident
09/16/2011
WPR11MA454
This space for binding
National Transportation Safety Board
PRELIMINARY REPORT
AVIATION
NTSB ID:
Occurrence Date:
Occurrence Type:
Date
Wind Direction:
Weather Conditions at Accident Site:
Weather Information (Continued from page 2)
Temperature: °C Dew Point:
Wind Speed: Kts. Gusts:
Administration Data
Notification From
°C
Kts.
FAA District Office/Coordinator Investigator-In-Charge (IIC)
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION - SUBJECT TO CHANGE Page 3
FAA AVP - 100
Christine Soucy
NTSB
Howard D. Plagens
17 21 Visual Conditions
25 -2 280
Accident
09/16/2011
WPR11MA454
