North American SNJ-5 N8540Z
18 September 1994 · Reno, Nevada, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 18 September 1994 at about 17:10 local time, a North American SNJ-5 registered N8540Z, operated by Same AS Registered Owner, was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Reno, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- Reno/Stead (4SD)
- Coordinates
- 39.4808, -119.7401
- Aircraft
- North American SNJ-5
- Registration
- N8540Z
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Same AS Registered Owner
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA368
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
that the pilot misjudged the distance between his and the other airplane. The pilot's diverted attention to the start of the air race is a factor in this accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
TWO AIRPLANE'S COLLIDED WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AN AIR RACE NEAR THE AIRPORT. ONE AIRPLANE'S (REFERRED TO AS #1) LEFT WING AND EMPENNAGE SEPARATED IN FLIGHT AND CRASHED INTO A RESIDENCE; THE OTHER AIRPLANE (REFERRED TO AS #2) LANDED AT THE AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENCE. THE POSTACCIDENT WRECKAGE EXAMINATION AND VIDEO TAPES OF THE OCCURRENCE SHOWED THAT AIRPLANE #1 OVERTOOK AND STRUCK AIRPLANE #2'S RIGHT WING FROM BELOW. AIRPLANE #1 PITCHED UP, THE EMPENNAGE SEPARATED, AND THE LEFT WING FOLDED. AIRPLANE #1 BEGAN TO CARTWHEEL AND SPIN UNTIL IT CRASHED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| North American SNJ-5 SNJ-5 | N8540Z | Same AS Registered Owner | Destroyed |
| North American SNJ-4 SNJ-4 | N7404C | Same AS Registered Owner | Substantial |
Other North American SNJ-5 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Mar 1994 | North American SNJ-5 | Houston, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1995 | North American SNJ-5 | Luray, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 1993 | North American SNJ-5 | Santa Paula, California, United States | American Airpower Heritage | No injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 1996 | North American SNJ-5 | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | North American Top GUN | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Apr 1997 | North American SNJ-5 | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1989 | North American SNJ-5 | Lakeland, Florida, United States | Hatchell, Thomas R | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 1994 | Cessna 182Q | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Stanley A. Lawless | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 May 1994 | Bell 206B | Overton, Nevada, United States | US Army Corps of Engineers | Unknown | - |
| 26 Jun 1994 | Bell 206-B3 | Indian Springs, Nevada, United States | United States Air Force | Unknown | - |
| 1 Nov 1994 | Cessna 421A | Sparks, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 1994 | Siai-Marchetti SF260C | North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-28-235 | Lovelock, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |