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WPR19LA261

2019-09-09 · Reno, Nevada, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RTS

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The failure of the landing gear to extend for reasons that could not be determined.

Factual narrative

On September 9, 2019, about 1620 Pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Havoc Air Racing LLC Super GT 111 airplane, N400MC, was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot was participating in an air racing event. He reported that, after finishing qualification laps, he lowered the landing gear in preparation for landing, but the left main gear unsafe light illuminated. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the problem but was unable to fully extend the gear. While troubleshooting, he also noticed that electrical bus 1 was no longer charging; shortly thereafter, the airplane experienced an electrical failure, and the engine, which was equipped with an electronic ignition system, lost total power. The pilot landed on the runway with the landing gear retracted and a fire ensued. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was not examined after the accident, and the reason for the landing gear and electrical anomalies was not determined. The pilot was participating in an air racing event. He reported that, after finishing qualification laps, he lowered the landing gear in preparation for landing, but the left main gear unsafe light illuminated. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the problem but was unable to fully extend the gear. While troubleshooting, he also noticed that electrical bus 1 was no longer charging; shortly thereafter, the airplane experienced an electrical failure, and the engine, which was equipped with an electronic ignition system, lost total power. The pilot landed on the runway with the landing gear retracted and a fire ensued. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was not examined after the accident, and the reason for the landing gear and electrical anomalies was not determined. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Electrical power system-(general)-Failure
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Main landing gear-Malfunction
  • — Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2019_WPR19LA261.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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