North American/Aero Classics P-51D accident near Reno, Nevada, September 16, 2011
On September 16, 2011 at about 11:26 pm local time, a North American/Aero Classics P-51D, registered N79111, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Reno, Nevada (Reno/Stead Airport). It was an air show or air race flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The reduced stiffness of the elevator trim tab system that allowed aerodynamic flutter to occur at racing speeds. The reduced stiffness was a result of deteriorated locknut inserts that allowed the trim tab attachment screws to become loose and to initiate fatigue cracking in one screw sometime before the accident flight. Aerodynamic flutter of the trim tabs resulted in a failure of the left trim tab link assembly, elevator movement, high flight loads, and a loss of control. Contributing to the accident were the undocumented and untested major modifications to the airplane and the pilot’s operation of the airplane in the unique air racing environment without adequate flight testing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2011 · about 11:26 pm local time
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · Reno/Stead Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American/Aero Classics P-51D · all P-51Ds on the register
- Registration
- N79111 · no longer on the register · serial 44-15651
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/reports.html. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAB-12/01. On September 16, 2011, about 1625 Pacific daylight time, an experimental, single-seat North American P-51D, N79111, collided with the airport ramp in the spectator box seating area following a loss of control during the National Championship Air Races unlimited class gold race at the Reno/Stead Airport (RTS), Reno, Nevada. The airplane was registered to Aero-Trans Corp (dba Leeward Aeronautical Sales), Ocala, Florida, and operated by the commercial pilot as Race 177, The Galloping Ghost, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot and 10 people on the ground sustained fatal injuries, and at least 64 people on the ground were injured (at least 16 of whom were reported to have sustained serious injuries). The airplane sustained substantial damage, fragmenting upon collision with the ramp. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local air race flight, which departed RTS about 10 minutes before the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Aircraft structural failure during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Tab structure (on elevator) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Elevator/tab attach fitting › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not specified
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Documentation/record keeping › (general) › FAA/Regulator
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KRTS Reno NV
- Destination: KRTS Reno NV
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 11:30 pm from KRTS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR11MA454.