Body Found In Wreckage Of "Tonopah Low" Biplane

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 02.09.07 1330 EST: Authorities in Carson City, NV confirmed Friday the body of Reno Air Race pilot Steve Brown was found in the wreckage of a plane found near a frozen Sierra Nevada lake.

"A civilian aircraft aiding in the search for Brown flew the Marlette area and saw the plane," said Carson City Sheriff Kenny Furlong. A National Guard helicopter then flew low enough to verfiy the aircraft was Brown's Pitts S-1 biplane.

The Nevada Appeal reports Brown's body was still in the cockpit of the overturned plane. He was 51 years old.

Damn...

Original Report

Two days after a Pitts S-1 biplane flown by Reno Air Race pilot Steve Brown disappeared, crews believe they've found the wreckage of the small aerobatic bipe near Marlette Lake, east of Lake Tahoe, NV.

The Record-Courier newspaper reports Brown was last seen Tuesday afternoon, when he departed Carson City Airport for a casual flight along the Carson river.

When Brown failed to return to Carson City, a search was launched using five airplanes and one helicopter, Carson City Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Primka told the Reno Gazette-Journal. That search stretched to the Lahontan Reservoir, Sunrise Pass and the area surrounding Mount Como. Other airports in the area also conducted ramp checks Wednesday for the missing plane.

Brown's "Tonopah Low" biplane is black with yellow trim, with the plane's name and number "00" painted on the side. Brown's numerous accomplishments are also listed along the plane's fuselage. (Aircraft type shown above, right)

Steve Brown is a pilot with American Airlines, who has participated in air shows in his Pitts since 1990. In 2002, the "Tonopah Low" appeared on a commemorative coin issued by the Reno Air Races.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 20164        Make/Model: PTSS      Description: S-1-11 Super Stinker
  Date: 02/06/2007     Time: 0000

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: CARSON CITY   State: NV   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT DEPARTED CARSON CITY AIRPORT ON A LOCAL FLIGHT AND WAS REPORTED
  MISSING THE NEXT DAY. WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED NEAR MARLETTE LAKE, NV

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: UNKNOWN

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  Departed: CXP CARSON CITY, NV         Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan: NONE         Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: RENO, NV  (WP11)                      Entry date: 02/09/2007

FMI: www.airrace.org