ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 131949
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| Date: | Tuesday 14 September 1993 |
| Time: | 11:55 LT |
| Type: | R |
| Owner/operator: | Robert L. Hugo |
| Registration: | N115R |
| MSN: | 1 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 146 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-290-G |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Reno, NV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | (4SD) |
| (4SD) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PILOT WAS FLYING HIS HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANE ON THE SMALL (3 MILE) RACE COURSE AT THE RENO NATIONAL AIR RACES. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT AFTER MAKING SEVERAL LAPS AT A HIGHER ALTITUDE, A DESCENT WAS MADE TO THE SAME ALTITUDE THAT PREVIOUS PILOTS HAD USE TO QUALIFY. THE AIRPLANE HAD 'ROUNDED' THE PYLONS & WAS FLYING DOWN THE EAST STRAIGHTAWAY, WHEN WITNESSES 'OBSERVED A SLIGHT ROLL, A ROLL CORRECTION AND IMMEDIATE PITCH DOWN . . .' ANOTHER WITNESS SAID 'PILOT WAGGLED WINGS AND PORPOISED TWICE, SECOND PORPOISE INTO GROUND.' THE PILOT SAID HE WAS FLYING WINGS LEVEL, FROM AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET, WHEN THERE WAS A SLIGHT LEFT WING DROP FOLLOWED BY A SEVERE PITCH DOWN. HE CORRECTED BY LEVELING THE WINGS & 'LOCKING' THE STICK IN A PITCH UP POSITION, BUT REPORTEDLY, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND TAIL FIRST. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WINDSHEAR OR A WHIRLWIND. WAKE TURBULENCE FROM A PREVIOUS LAP WAS NEITHER RULED OUT NOR VERIFIED.
Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO AN UNDETERMINED ENCOUNTER WITH AN UNFAVORABLE WIND/AIR CONDITION IN THE FORM OF A DUST DEVIL, WINDSHEAR, OR WAKE TURBULENCE FROM A PREVIOUS LAP. A RELATED FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LOW ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ENCOUNTER, WHICH LIMITED THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR THE PILOT TO CORRECT THE LOSS OF CONTROL.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX93LA351
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 10-Apr-2024 11:10 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category, Category, Accident report] |
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