Summary
On September 14, 1993, a R&k Special 01 (N115R) was involved in an accident near Reno, NV. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO AN UNDETERMINED ENCOUNTER WITH AN UNFAVORABLE WIND/AIR CONDITION IN THE FORM OF A DUST DEVIL, WINDSHEAR, OR WAKE TURBULENCE FROM A PREVIOUS LAP. A RELATED FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LOW ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ENCOUNTER, WHICH LIMITED THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR THE PILOT TO CORRECT THE LOSS OF CONTROL.
On September 14, 1993, about 1055 hours Pacific daylight time, a homebuilt experimental R and K Special airplane, N115R, collided with terrain while on a timing run at the Reno National Air Races, Reno, Nevada. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial rated pilot received serious injuries.
The pilot stated that he made a slight roll correction prior to the airplane pitching down and contacting the ground.
Crew witnesses stated that: "Racer number 6 was the last biplane flying in the practice/qualification session. The pilot made several laps at a higher altitude. He then descended to what appeared to be the same altitude the previous biplanes had used to qualify.
This accident is documented in NTSB report LAX93LA351. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N115R.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO AN UNDETERMINED ENCOUNTER WITH AN UNFAVORABLE WIND/AIR CONDITION IN THE FORM OF A DUST DEVIL, WINDSHEAR, OR WAKE TURBULENCE FROM A PREVIOUS LAP. A RELATED FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LOW ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ENCOUNTER, WHICH LIMITED THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR THE PILOT TO CORRECT THE LOSS OF CONTROL.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On September 14, 1993, about 1055 hours Pacific daylight time, a homebuilt experimental R and K Special airplane, N115R, collided with terrain while on a timing run at the Reno National Air Races, Reno, Nevada. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial rated pilot received serious injuries.
The pilot stated that he made a slight roll correction prior to the airplane pitching down and contacting the ground.
Crew witnesses stated that: "Racer number 6 was the last biplane flying in the practice/qualification session. The pilot made several laps at a higher altitude. He then descended to what appeared to be the same altitude the previous biplanes had used to qualify. As the pilot approached the start/finish line, they observed a slight roll, a roll correction, and an immediate pitch down at about 20 degrees with wings level to ground impact."
The pilot reported that witnesses told him that the airplane hit the ground tail first. He also stated that information provided by other race pilots indicated that the airplane encountered a severe windshear/whirlwind.
The aircraft was examined by an FAA airworthiness inspector who reported that no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were evident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX93LA351