Amateur-built Vaquero accident near West Wendover, Nevada, October 27, 2024
On October 27, 2024 at about 4:15 pm local time, a 2024 amateur-built Vaquero, registered N510DH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near West Wendover, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2024 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- West Wendover, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Vaquero, built 2024
- Registration
- N510DH · registry record · serial 010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 27, 2024, about 0915 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Badlands Vaquero airplane, N510DH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near West Wendover, Nevada. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that during cruise flight, about 3,000 ft above ground level, flames appeared from the right side of the engine cowling. The pilot shut the fuel and the engine off, initiated an emergency descent, and initiated a forced landing on an interstate service road. After he landed, the pilot evacuated the airplane, and the fire continued, which consumed a large portion of the airplane. The wreckage was recovered and will be examined at a later date. Figure 1. Accident Airplane (Courtesy of Nevada State Troopers)
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Wendover NV
- Destination: EKO Elko NV
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from KEKO, 74 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KEKO 271556Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 07/M06 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP182 T00721061
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.