Aero Vodochody L-39 accident near Boulder City, NV
On May 18, 2012, an Aero Vodochody L-39 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Boulder City, NV. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 18, 2012
- Place
- Boulder City, NV
- Aircraft
- Aero Vodochody L-39 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.954°N, 114.882°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120518X70641
Official records · WPR12FA216
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Audio File – UNICOM Recording: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
**This report was modified on February 4, 2015. Please see the public docket for this accident to view a record of the changes.** HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 18, 2012, about 1215 Pacific daylight time, an experimental exhibition Aero Vodochody L-39, N39WT, impacted desert terrain about a 1/2 mile northwest of the Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU), Boulder City, Nevada. Mach 1 Aviation and Incredible Adventures operated the flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airline transport pilot and one passenger were fatally injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wing assembly. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the adventure flight, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight. The accident airplane, along with another L-39 (N139CK), departed Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California, about 0730 on the morning of the accident. The purpose of the day's flights was to celebrate a birthday for one of the eight passengers, which included a Hollywood Top Gun Adventure flight, in two L-39 Albatross jet airplanes. Each flight was scheduled to be 45 minutes in length, and each passenger would be provided with a film of their flight. Two flights were scheduled for the morning, with the last two flights to take place in the afternoon following lunch. The mornings' flights were uneventful. The pilot in the lead airplane for the accident flight stated that the takeoff and climb out were normal until he heard the other pilot radio "canopy." He could not elaborate further as to why the accident pilot made
Probable cause
An in-flight emergency followed by a collision with terrain for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and forward and aft canopies revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
More accidents in NV
- Cessna 425, Jan 12, 1992
- Cessna TU206G, Dec 7, 1986
- Beech A36TC, Dec 25, 2003
- Cessna T21OL, Mar 1, 1982
- Pilatus PC-12/45, Feb 25, 2023
Browse: Nevada
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
