- Date
- September 15, 1987, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Other
- Aircraft
- N5JGMercer OWL Racer 65-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870915053009A
- Case key
- 40695
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Drg a practice flt in a formula one racer bfr the Reno air races, the eng lost pwr after 4 laps when the acft was at an alt of about 40' AGL. The plt maneuvered to lnd on a rwy in winds that were variable & gusty. A witness rprtd the plt made an abrupt left turn, while maneuvering to lnd, then the acft 'appeared to stall, snap roll to the right and dive vertically into the ground.' No preimpact part failure or malfunction was fnd drg an exam of the wreckage. The fuel & oil tanks ruptured drg impact. No evidence of stain or odor was noted & the fuel tank was dry; however, 1 person rprtd he witnessed the 'dip sticking' of the fuel tank bfr the acdnt & said fuel was at the 3/4 lvl. The plt had 3 yrs experience of flying formula one racers. On the acdnt flt he was checking a newly installed eng. On the day bfr the acdnt, he made a dead-stick lndg at the same arpt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5JG
- Reported as
- Mercer OWL Racer 65-2 (OWL RACER)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JM-1
- Airframe hours
- 121
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Jefferey Sawyer & Co.
- Registered owner
- Denton, Harvey D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 1, 1987 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- 4SD
- Airport
- 4SD · Reno/Stead, runway 32, 8,080 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.