Amateur-built LANCAIR LEGACY accident near Reno, Nevada, September 13, 2014
On September 13, 2014 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2012 amateur-built LANCAIR LEGACY, registered N368W, 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). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The shearing of mounting bolts that attached the right turbocharger to its mounting bracket during an air race, which resulted in hot exhaust gases leaking into the engine compartment and starting a fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2014 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · Reno Stead · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LANCAIR LEGACY NO SERIES, built 2012
- Registration
- N368W · no longer on the register · serial L2K-102
- 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 pilot reported that he was participating in an air race when an in-flight fire in the engine compartment and a loss of engine power occurred. He was unable to discharge the fire extinguisher and declared an emergency. He flew off the racecourse and touched down the airplane in rough terrain short of a runway. Each side of the engine had exhaust pipes from each cylinder that connected to a manifold via a slip joint on each pipe. The manifold connected to a turbocharger at the rear end of the engine, and the turbocharger was mounted to the airframe. Postaccident examination revealed that the two bolts that attached the right turbocharger to its mounting bracket had sheared. The exhaust pipes had pulled down and away from the cylinders, likely due to the weight of the turbocharger and exhaust manifold, which created a gap at the slip joint for the No. 1 cylinder, which was the most aft cylinder and closest to the turbocharger. This allowed hot exhaust gases to escape into the engine compartment and start a fire in the immediate vicinity of the gap. There was also a broken weld at the induction tube that carried turbocharged air from the right turbocharger.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine exhaust › (general) › Malfunction
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 17, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 2014
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors Inc TSIO-550 (piston); 51 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5SD Reno NV at 8:45 pm
- Destination: 5SD Reno NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 23,000 ft; a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from KRNO
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.