Accident Aero Vodochody L-39C N139DK,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 43678
 
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Date:Thursday 13 September 2007
Time:14:45
Type:Silhouette image of generic L39 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Aero Vodochody L-39C
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N139DK
MSN: 934874
Total airframe hrs:961 hours
Engine model:Ukraine Progress A1-25-TL
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Reno, NV -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:Reno/Stead, NV (4SD)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot was racing his jet airplane in a scheduled race in a high speed, low-level, racetrack pattern around pylons. Videos were obtained from spectators of the race and reviewed. The videos showed that a Rockwell T-2B (Buckeye) airplane was leading the group of jets, with the accident airplane immediately behind as the group rounded pylon 8. As the accident airplane rounded the pylon, it banked to the left, and then banked to the right. The bank to the right continued through an inverted position as the airplane descended. Upon impact with the ground, the airplane was upright, in a nose low attitude. It is likely that due to the low altitude of the airplane during the accident sequence, there was limited time available for the pilot to recover from the upset. According to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25), "All aircraft generate a wake while in flight. This disturbance is caused by a pair of counter-rotating vortices trailing from the wingtips. The vortices from larger aircraft pose problems to encountering aircraft. The wake of these aircraft can impose rolling moments exceeding the roll-control authority of the encountering aircraft."
Probable Cause: The pilot's encounter with wake turbulence while maneuvering over a race course. Contributing to the accident was the low altitude at which the encounter occurred.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: SEA07FA263
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20070924X01438&key=1

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Oct-2008 00:45 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:24 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
04-Dec-2017 18:52 ASN Update Bot Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Narrative]

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