Mercer OWL RACER 65-2 N5JG

Summary

On 15 September 1987 at about 21:30 local time, a Mercer OWL RACER 65-2 registered N5JG, operated by Jefferey Sawyer & Co., was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 September 1987 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Reno, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Reno/Stead (4SD)

Coordinates

39.7097, -119.8207

Aircraft

Mercer OWL RACER 65-2

Registration

N5JG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jefferey Sawyer & Co.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA87LA188

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG A PRACTICE FLT IN A FORMULA ONE RACER BFR THE RENO AIR RACES, THE ENG LOST PWR AFTER 4 LAPS WHEN THE ACFT WAS AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 40' AGL. THE PLT MANEUVERED TO LND ON A RWY IN WINDS THAT WERE VARIABLE & GUSTY. A WITNESS RPRTD THE PLT MADE AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN, WHILE MANEUVERING TO LND, THEN THE ACFT 'APPEARED TO STALL, SNAP ROLL TO THE RIGHT AND DIVE VERTICALLY INTO THE GROUND.' NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND DRG AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE. THE FUEL & OIL TANKS RUPTURED DRG IMPACT. NO EVIDENCE OF STAIN OR ODOR WAS NOTED & THE FUEL TANK WAS DRY; HOWEVER, 1 PERSON RPRTD HE WITNESSED THE 'DIP STICKING' OF THE FUEL TANK BFR THE ACDNT & SAID FUEL WAS AT THE 3/4 LVL. THE PLT HAD 3 YRS EXPERIENCE OF FLYING FORMULA ONE RACERS. ON THE ACDNT FLT HE WAS CHECKING A NEWLY INSTALLED ENG. ON THE DAY BFR THE ACDNT, HE MADE A DEAD-STICK LNDG AT THE SAME ARPT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.