Hoover David ARNOLD AR 6 N616DH
18 September 2016 · Reno, Nevada, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 18 September 2016 at about 18:18 local time, a Hoover David ARNOLD AR 6 registered N616DH was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. 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 18:18
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Reno, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- Reno/Stead (RTS)
- Coordinates
- 39.6644, -119.8911
- Aircraft
- Hoover David ARNOLD AR 6
- Registration
- N616DH
- Category
- Airplane
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Reno → Reno
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR16LA185
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot of Race 11’s failure to maintain clearance from Race 1 during takeoff, and the insufficient abort procedures specified within the race rules. Contributing to the accident was the pilot of Race 1’s decision to shut down the engine on the runway and his failure to follow existing abort procedures.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While waiting for the start of a closed air race, eight airplanes were positioned on the runway staggered in three rows; three airplanes in the first row, two in the second row, and three in the third row. The airplane designated as Race 11 was positioned in the middle of the third row, and the airplane designated as Race 1 was positioned on the left side in the second row. Before the race start, all the airplanes were operating at takeoff power waiting for the race start signal. The pilot of Race 1 reported that, just before the start, his engine was not running well and he made the decision to abort and shut the engine down nearly simultaneously with the start of the race. The pilot of Race 11 reported that, once he saw the start flag, he initiated his takeoff roll. As the tail of his airplane came up, he saw Race 1 stationary on the runway and he attempted to swerve out of the way and get his airplane airborne. However, his airplane collided with Race 1. Review of onboard video recordings from both Race 11 and Race 1 as well as witness reports revealed that, when the race started, all the airplanes except for Race 1 began the takeoff sequence. Onboard video from Race 11 revealed that, during the approximate 11 seconds after the takeoff roll commenced, the pilot allowed his airplane to drift left, which resulted in a collision with stationary Race 1. If all the airplanes were aligned correctly, it would have allowed adequate horizontal distance between the second and third rows for airplanes to pass by one another. It is likely that, if the pilot of Race 11 maintained a straight takeoff roll and not allowed his airplane to drift left, the collision may have been avoided. Additional video recordings from witnesses revealed that, at the time of the collision, no red flags were being displayed to signal an abort to the race start. Review of race rules in place at the time of the accident revealed that, at the start of the race, all rows will launch simultaneously; however, anyone aborting take off, "will abort straight ahead and attempt to clear to the end of the runway expeditiously." No written procedures were in place for aborting before the time of the start of the race.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoover David ARNOLD AR 6 NO SERIES | N616DH | - | Substantial |
| Reberry Brian 3M1C1R NO SERIES | N913FT | - | Substantial |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 2016 | P Z L -Warszawa-Cnpsl PZL 104 WILGA | Austin, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 2016 | Robinson R22 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | J & J Aircraft Leasing LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 2016 | Robinson R44 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | 702 Helicopter Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2016 | Luscombe 8A | Minden, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 May 2016 | G Elwin Halvorsen PA18WB/L21-180 | Gerlach, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2016 | Beechcraft A36 | Sparks, Nevada, United States | Flying Start Aero | Fatal | 2 |