No American/Rogers B L P-51R accident near Reno, NV
On September 18, 1999, a No American/Rogers B L P-51R (airplane) was involved in an accident near Reno, NV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 18, 1999
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Aircraft
- No American/Rogers B L P-51R · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.710°N, 119.820°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X19791
Official records · LAX99FA311
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 18, 1999, at 1605 hours Pacific daylight time, an experimental North American/Rogers P-51R, N57LR, was destroyed by impact with the ground following in-flight separation of the empennage control surfaces of the highly modified aircraft. The accident occurred during the annual Reno National Championship Air Races at Reno/Stead Airport, Reno, Nevada, on the first lap of heat 3A in the unlimited gold category. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. Videotaped recordings of the accident show the empennage horizontal and vertical stabilizers and control surfaces of the aircraft separating abruptly as the aircraft made a left turn at the number 1 pylon east of the airport. The nose of the aircraft then pitched down and the left wing separated near the root. The team crew chief reported that before the race, the pilot said his race strategy would be to remain higher than the other aircraft in the field and to descend later in the race after passing most of the field. Video footage was reviewed, which was taken from the area of the runway 8 threshold looking east toward the number 1 pylon. In approximately the 10 seconds before the empennage components separated from the aircraft, it was flying well above and outside the other aircraft in the field. As other aircraft in the field entered the turn at pylon 1, their bank angle was approximately 60 degrees to the left, whereas the accident aircraf
Probable cause
The onset of a flutter event and the resultant separation of the rudder and empennage from the aircraft. The precipitating cause for the flutter could not be determined.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
