A P-51 Mustang single engine plane which took off from Reno-Stead Airport and was en route to South Dakota crashed on Pyramid Highway just north of Spanish Springs in Nevada at around 8 a.m. on July 26.
The accident happened after an experimental Roscher built Thunder Mustang ‘Miss Picabo’ experienced mechanical failure and its engine stopped suddenly. The pilot and the co-pilot then decided to make emergency landing at Pyramid Highway and eventually crashed into a truck travelling northbound with at least 2 people aboard.
The aircraft caught fire after the crash. However, the pilot and the co-pilot managed to get out of it in just minutes. No major injuries were reported except for some scratches from broken glass.
Recalling the accident, the Pilot Fred Roscher of Cupertino said, “The plane was flying, and then, all of a sudden the engine just died….. We touched down and immediately hit him [the truck]… A couple minutes later, the plane caught fire and was completely consumed.”
Two lane Pyramid Lake Road remained closed for six hours.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the mechanical failure of the aircraft.
JetBlue flight B6-178 had to reject takeoff from Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 7th.
EasyJet flight U2-864 made an emergency landing in Inverness, Scotland, on June 29th.