# Accident 20000614013509A: Curtis TRVAIR4000, Reno, NV, June 14, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 14, 2000, 16:15 local time - Place: Reno, NV - Airport: Reno/Tahoe International Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.4809° N, 119.7401° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.4809&lon=-119.7401&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6425, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6425) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Curtiss Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 (registry code 2621802, https://openairdocs.org/model/curtiss-wright-travel-air-4000) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CURTIS TRVAIR4000 - Reported engine: LYC R6809 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 776 total, 11 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA227](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA227) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000614013509A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE PILOT SAID HE WAS CARRYING ABOUT 10 MPH MORE SPEED THAN NORAML. THE PILOT SAID THAT ON TOUCH DOWN THE AIRCRAFT SKIPPED AND CAME BACK DOWN OFF CENTER. AT THIS THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A GROUND LOOP TO THE LEFT. THE RIGHT WING TIP STARTED TO DRAG. AS THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY WING STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT PULLING IT FROM THE GROUND. THE IMPACT FROM THE LIGHT BROKE THE SPAR AT THE OUTBOARD FLYING STRUTS. THIS IMPACT TOSSED THE AIRCRAFT BACK ONTO THE LEFT WHEEL. THE WHEEL GAVE WAY FROM THE SIDE LOADS AND THE LEFT LOWER WING TIP HIT THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO FLIP AT THIS POINT AND CAME TO REST ON ITS BACK COLLAPSING THE STRUTS ABOVE THE FUSELAGE AND THE RUDDER/VERT STABILIZER. (.4) ON JUNE 14, 2000, ABOUT 1615 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CURTIS-WRIGHT TRAVEL AIR 4000, N6425, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, VEERED OFF RUNWAY 16L DURING LANDING ROLLOUT AT THE RENO/TAHOE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, RENO, NEVADA. THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH AN AIRPORT LIGHT FIXTURE AND NOSED OVER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1500. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT HE PERFORMED A NORMAL LANDING ON RUNWAY 16L IN HIS 1928 VINTAGE CONVENTIONAL GEAR AIRPLANE. RUNWAY 16L IS 9,000 FEET LONG AND 150 FEET WIDE. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT AFTER TOUCHING DOWN NEAR THE RUNWAY NUMBERS HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHEN THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY VEERED LEFT AND THE RIGHT WING TIP DRAGGED ON THE PAVEMENT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AT A 30-DEGREE ANGLE. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE EXPERIENCED WITH THE OPERATION OF THE AIRPLANE. AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, WHO REPORTEDLY WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, INDICATED THAT DURING LANDING, THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BOUNCE ON THE RUNWAY. THEREAFTER, IT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR (PAPI) LIGHT FIXTURE FOLLOWING WHICH IT NOSED OVER. ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE REPORTED WIND WAS FROM 300 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS. IN THE PILOT'S COMPLETED ACCIDENT REPORT, HE RECALLED THAT THE WIND'S DIRECTION WAS VARIABLE, AND ITS SPEED WAS 6 KNOTS. RENO AIRPORT'S SURFACE WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED DURING THE HOUR BEFORE AND AFTER THE ACCIDENT WERE AS FOLLOWS: AT 1456, THE WIND WAS FROM 020 DEGREES, 4 KNOTS. AT 1556, THE WIND WAS FROM 350 DEGREES, AT 7 KNOTS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX00LA227](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA227), Jun 14, 2000: Curtis-Wright Travel AIR 4000 (N6425), Reno, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper bounced landing recovery technique and failure to maintain directional control in a quartering tailwind condition. ## Other reports on N6425 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20040416032719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040416032719A), Apr 16, 2004: Curtis TRVAIR4000 (N6425), Fort Pierce, FL, Minor damage. (-23) On landing (sod runway) right wheel hit gopher hole, axle broke. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.