Debus J / Mountain S / Bowes E DEBUS-CASST-SNOSHOO accident near Reno, NV
On September 6, 2008, a Debus J / Mountain S / Bowes E DEBUS-CASST-SNOSHOO (airplane) was involved in an accident near Reno, NV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 6, 2008
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Aircraft
- Debus J / Mountain S / Bowes E DEBUS-CASST-SNOSHOO · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.667°N, 119.876°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080917X01476
Official records · SEA08FA196
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 6, 2008, about 0906 Pacific daylight time, an amateur-built Debus J/Mountain S/Bowes E Debus-Casst-Snoshoo experimental airplane, N102MB, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following an in-flight breakup while maneuvering at the Reno/Stead Airport (4SD), Reno, Nevada. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was killed. The airplane was registered to Miss Lynn Racing LLC of Lincoln, Nebraska and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that originated from 4SD about 10 minutes prior to the accident. Information obtained from a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the pilot was participating in an International Formula One (IF1) Pylon Air Race Class pilot qualification flight. The flight was intended to be composed of a series of maneuvers which included a 360-degree roll to the left, 360-degree roll to right, and a 180-degree roll to the left followed by a 180-degree roll to the right. These maneuvers were being observed by Formula One Class personnel located on the ramp of 4SD for the purposes of the pilot obtaining an IF1 Racing Pilot License. Several IF1 personnel located on the ramp of 4SD reported observing the airplane depart from runway 8 and enter a normal climb into the demonstration area. The airplane was observed on an east to west heading parallel to runway 8 about 1,500 to 1,800 feet above ground level (agl), and the pilot p
Probable cause
The movement of the airplane’s modified horizontal stabilizer trim system during an intentional high speed aerobatic maneuver that resulted in exceedence of the design stress limits of the airplane and an in-flight structural failure. Contrubuting to the accident was that the builder’s deviation from the airplane designer's original trim system.
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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.
