Event LAX94LA356

Factual narrative

On September 8, 1994, at 0805 Pacific daylight time, a Hawker Siddeley HS-125-700A, N311NW, sustained substantial airframe damage during a wheel well and wing root fire following an aborted takeoff at Reno, Nevada. The aircraft was operated by Navellier Management, Inc., of Wilmington, Delaware, and was on a corporate transportation flight under 14 CFR 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The two pilots and two passengers on board were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident as a nonstop cross-country to Scottsdale, Arizona. The captain stated in an oral interview that the aircraft was near V1/Vr in the takeoff ground roll when he heard a loud bang followed by a vibration in the airframe. A second loud bang was then heard as the captain aborted the takeoff. The occupants evacuated the aircraft after it came to a stop on a taxiway. A fire was observed on the right wheels and in the wheel well. Airport fire department units responded and extinguished the fire. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that both right main gear tires had blown out during the takeoff roll. The ground fire was found to have spread from the wheel well to the hell hole and into the left wing root area. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Reno, Nevada, Flight Standards District Office examined the aircraft. He reported that hydraulic and fuel lines routed through the right wheel well area were severed. The fuselage fuel tank was found punctured. The hydraulic system uses MIL 5606 fluid. The area of the runway where the initial tire failure occurred is near an area of construction on the airport taxiways. The debris from the runway was gathered up by airport personnel and disposed of prior to examination by FAA inspectors. THE CAPTAIN SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEAR V1/VR IN THE TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY A VIBRATION IN THE AIRFRAME. A SECOND LOUD BANG WAS THEN HEARD AS THE CAPTAIN ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE OCCUPANTS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT CAME TO A STOP ON A TAXIWAY. A FIRE WAS OBSERVED ON THE RIGHT WHEELS AND IN THE WHEEL WELL. AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT UNITS RESPONDED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT BOTH RIGHT MAIN GEAR TIRES HAD BLOWN OUT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE GROUND FIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE SPREAD FROM THE WHEEL WELL INTO THE LEFT WING ROOT AREA. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND REPORTED THAT THE HYDRAULIC AND FUEL LINES ROUTED THROUGH THE RIGHT WHEEL WELL AREA WERE SEVERED. THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK WAS FOUND PUNCTURED. THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM USES MIL 5606 FLUID. THE AREA OF THE RUNWAY WHERE THE INITIAL TIRE FAILURE OCCURRED IS NEAR AN AREA OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE AIRPORT TAXIWAYS. THE DEBRIS FROM THE RUNWAY WAS GATHERED UP BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL AND DISPOSED OF PRIOR TO EXAMINATION BY FAA INSPECTORS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12