Aero Vodochody L-39C N139DK
13 September 2007 · Reno, Nevada, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 13 September 2007 at about 21:45 local time, a Aero Vodochody L-39C registered N139DK 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 21:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Reno, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- Reno Stead Airport (4SD)
- Coordinates
- 39.6642, -119.8839
- Aircraft
- Aero Vodochody L-39C
- Registration
- N139DK
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Reno/Stead → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA07FA263
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's encounter with wake turbulence while maneuvering over a race course. Contributing to the accident was the low altitude at which the encounter occurred.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was racing his jet airplane in a scheduled race in a high speed, low-level, racetrack pattern around pylons. Videos were obtained from spectators of the race and reviewed. The videos showed that a Rockwell T-2B (Buckeye) airplane was leading the group of jets, with the accident airplane immediately behind as the group rounded pylon 8. As the accident airplane rounded the pylon, it banked to the left, and then banked to the right. The bank to the right continued through an inverted position as the airplane descended. Upon impact with the ground, the airplane was upright, in a nose low attitude. It is likely that due to the low altitude of the airplane during the accident sequence, there was limited time available for the pilot to recover from the upset. According to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25), "All aircraft generate a wake while in flight. This disturbance is caused by a pair of counter-rotating vortices trailing from the wingtips. The vortices from larger aircraft pose problems to encountering aircraft. The wake of these aircraft can impose rolling moments exceeding the roll-control authority of the encountering aircraft."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aero Vodochody L-39C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2001 | Aero Vodochody L-39C | Pecan Island, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Dec 2015 | Aero Vodochody L 39C | Apple Valley, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Jul 2025 | Aero Vodochody L-39C | Granite Falls, Minnesota, United States | L39 Aircraft LLC | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2007 | MD Helicopters 500-E | Yerington, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Nov 2007 | Cessna T182T | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Dion J. DeCamp | Fatal | 2 |
| 9 Nov 2007 | Beechcraft A36 | Jean, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2007 | Cirrus SR22 | Reno, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2007 | Socata TB20 | Beatty, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 2007 | Air Tractor AT-802A | Winnemucca, Nevada, United States | US Dept of the Interior | Minor injuries | - |