20230917016452A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · North American AT-6B · Reno, NV · September 17, 2023

Date: September 17, 2023 · 14:15 local
Place: Reno, NV
Airport: Reno/Stead
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision: Midair collision
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N57418
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR23FA345
Reported as: North American AT-6B
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot

N57418Registered now · North American AT-6BS/N 84-7748 · Built 1942 Airframe modelNorth American AT-6B Engine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

During landing pattern, aircraft 1 was positioned on a left base for rwy 8 with landing gear down. Aircraft 1 had made a radio call declaring his position in the landing pattern. Aircraft 2 was in the left downwind for rwy 8 and had made a radio call declaring his position in the landing pattern. Aircraft 2 struck the port side of aircraft 1 from the left quarterning position just behind the left wing of aircraft 1, shearing the tail section off of aircraft 1. Aircraft 1 immediately entered a steep dive and crashed in a near-vertical attitude. Aircraft 2 proceeded in a shallow dive straight ahead and eventually crashed to the west.

As the FAA filed it

DURING LANDING PATTERN, AIRCRAFT 1 WAS POSITIONED ON A LEFT BASE FOR RWY 8 WITH LANDING GEAR DOWN. AIRCRAFT 1 HAD MADE A RADIO CALL DECLARING HIS POSITION IN THE LANDING PATTERN. AIRCRAFT 2 WAS IN THE LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 AND HAD MADE A RADIO CALL DECLARING HIS POSITION IN THE LANDING PATTERN. AIRCRAFT 2 STRUCK THE PORT SIDE OF AIRCRAFT 1 FROM THE LEFT QUARTERNING POSITION JUST BEHIND THE LEFT WING OF AIRCRAFT 1, SHEARING THE TAIL SECTION OFF OF AIRCRAFT 1. AIRCRAFT 1 IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A STEEP DIVE AND CRASHED IN A NEAR-VERTICAL ATTITUDE. AIRCRAFT 2 PROCEEDED IN A SHALLOW DIVE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND EVENTUALLY CRASHED TO THE WEST.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR23FA345Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportReno, NVThe failure of both the Race 14 and Race 6 pilots to see and avoid each other while in the airport traffic pattern. Contributing to the accident was both pilots’ failure to fly the standard downwind and base legs.Sep 17, 2023 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N2897GNorth American T-6GAccident 20230917016462A · Destroyed · 1 fatal

Other reports on N57418 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19980530025329IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Van Nuys, CA(-23) No narrative available.May 30, 1998