Hughes Cassutt 111M2 N94HA
17 September 1998 · Reno, Nevada, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 17 September 1998 at about 16:40 local time, a Hughes Cassutt 111M2 registered N94HA was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Reno, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- Reno/Stead (4SD)
- Coordinates
- 39.4905, -119.8403
- Aircraft
- Hughes Cassutt 111M2
- Registration
- N94HA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX98LA295
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin while maneuvering in gusty wind conditions, which led to an inadvertent stall/spin at low altitude.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
At the conclusion of an International Formula One (IF1) heat race at the Reno National Championship Air Races, four racers queued for landing. Winds were from 240 degrees at 17 knots gusting to 25 knots. Two airplanes landed successfully. A third airplane on final was closing on the airplane ahead and the pilot elected to do a left 360-degree turn and reenter the landing pattern. The fourth airplane was just turning onto the base leg at this time. Witnesses stated this airplane started a turn to the right and the nose of the airplane went up. This was followed by an immediate roll and entry into a nearly vertical, rolling dive. The airplane came to rest in the back yard of a residence. The pilot of the third airplane reported no adverse wind conditions on his base leg, but winds on base to final were gusty and the ride was bumpy. IF1 technicians under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration investigator found no discrepancies with the airframe or engine during a postaccident examination.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 1998 | Piper PA-28-140 | Henderson, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 1998 | Bell 222 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1998 | Bellanca BL-17 | Winnemucca, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 1998 | Aero Commander 690 | Ely, Nevada, United States | BLM, U.s. Dept of Interior | No injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 1998 | Beechcraft 100 | Reno, Nevada, United States | Victor Gonzales | No injuries | - |
| 17 Sep 1998 | Mooney M20C | Reno, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |