Nevada
Deadliest plane crashes that shaped Nevada’s history and what caused them
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American Airlines plane crash investigation underway in DC
Authorities are investigating how two aircraft crashed in mid-air despite normal flight patterns and communications.
On Wednesday, an American Airlines passenger plane and U.S. Army helicopter collided over the Potomac in Washington, D.C. Officials have said there are no survivors among the 67 people on both crafts, making it the deadliest U.S. air crash in the last 25 years.
In Nevada, the deadliest plane crash was in 1964. A four-engine Constellation operated by California’s Paradise Airlines traveling from Oakland crashed in a mountain near Lake Tahoe after two failed attempts to land at the nearby airport.
Here’s a look at notable plane crashes in Nevada history:
Jan. 16, 1942: TWA Flight 3
Hollywood star Carole Lombard, wife of Clark Gable, was on board TWA Flight 3, which crashed shortly after taking off from McCarran Field in Las Vegas.
The crash killed Lombard and 21 other people when the plane crashed into Potosi Mountain southwest of what is now the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
The beacon that could have prevented a collision with the mountainside was turned off because of fears that Japanese warplanes would be poised to attack the Western U.S. during WWII.
Nov. 17, 1955: C-54 crash at Mt. Charleston
During a raging storm in the Spring Mountains near Las Vegas, a U.S. Air Force C-54 was making a routine trip from Burbank, California, to Area 51 in Southern Nevada, where the military was working on the U-2 plane.
Because of the secrecy around the military base, the C-54 crew were never in contact with air traffic control. The plane took a new route that would cut 10 minutes off the total flight time, but was blown off course by the storm.
The plane failed to clear Mt. Charleston by just 50 feet. All 14 crew members aboard died.
Because of the secrecy around Area 51 and the Cold War at the time, the crash and its victims were largely hidden for decades, even from the victims’ families.
A 1998 investigation by hiker Steven Ririe gave closure to families when he confirmed the victims’ deaths and cause. Ririe also brought the investigation to lawmakers, which led to the first national Cold War veterans memorial. The memorial is now at the crash site atop Mt. Charleston.
April 21, 1958: United Air Lines Flight 736
More than five decades ago, a fighter jet from Nellis Airforce Base collided with a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles 21,000 feet above the valley southwest of Las Vegas. It killed the two men aboard the fighter jet and the 47 people on the airline.
The crash occurred when the Air Force student pilot was practicing a maneuver that involved climbing to 28,000 feet and diving almost vertical to “simulate a rapid insertion into enemy airspace.”
The accident became a national example of a need for further air travel precautions in the U.S. and was mentioned specifically by then-President Dwight Eisenhower when signing the Federal Aviation Act, which ordered the creation of what is now the Federal Aviation Administration and many modern flight safety measures.
It is also one of the reasons that military flight practice is no longer permitted above cities or commercial corridors.
March 1, 1964: Paradise Airlines Flight 901A
More than 60 years ago, passengers boarded California’s Paradise Airlines Flight 901A in Oakland for what would be the deadliest flight in Nevada history. The plane made plans to stop in Salinas and San Jose, California, before arriving at the airport in Lake Tahoe. However, after failing to land at Lake Tahoe because of low visibility due to a snow storm, the pilot decided to change course and attempt to land in Reno.
The low visibility coupled with a malfunctioning compass caused the plane to crash into a mountainside one mile south of Genoa Peak in Nevada. Reports say if the plane was 100 feet higher, it would have cleared the pass.
There were no survivors. The 85 people aboard the plane were not found in the snow until the next morning.
Nov. 15, 1964: Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114
A misinterpretation of the approach chart by the plane’s captain likely led to a premature descent during a storm near Las Vegas, which led to Flight 114 crashing. The crash killed all 29 people aboard the passenger aircraft.
That year was the deadliest for Nevada air travel, with 116 fatalities. In addition to the Paradise and Bonanza airline crashes, another accident at Austin on Aug. 26, 1964, killed two forest service staff while they were agricultural spraying.
Aug. 30, 1978: Las Vegas Airlines Flight 44
Las Vegas Airlines Flight 44 crashed during takeoff in a field near what is now Rancho Drive and Cheyenne Avenue in North Las Vegas. The plane was headed for Santa Ana, California, but hit the ground 1,000 feet from the end of the runway.
The crash happened because of a malfunction with a bolt that caused the pilot to be unable to stop the plane from flying nose-up and stalling, reported the Las Vegas Review Journal. All 10 people aboard the plane died.
Jan. 21,1985: Galaxy Airline Flight 203
On Jan. 21, 1985, Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 crashed into a Reno field at South Virginia Street and Neil Road just after takeoff at 1 a.m. The charter flight was carrying football fans returning to Minneapolis after the Super Bowl in Stanford, California, with 71 passengers and crew on board. Only one person, 17-year-old George Lamson Jr., survived the crash.
The plane went down when the pilot, Allen Heasley, reacted incorrectly to a vibration by ordering an engine power reduction.
Galaxy Grove, a memorial tribute to the passengers and crew of Galaxy Flight 203, was dedicated at Rancho San Rafael Park in 1986 and features a bronze plaque among a grove of pine trees.
Jan. 21 ,1985: Steve Fossett plane crash
Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett’s plane went missing over the Great Basin desert on Sept. 3, 2007.
Fossett, 63, famed for his solo flights around the world in planes and hot air balloons, departed alone in a single-engine, two-seat aerobatic plane about 9 a.m., from a private airstrip on a ranch near Yerington owned by hotel mogul Barron Hilton. He failed to return as scheduled a couple of hours later.
A 7,500-square-mile search went on for several days from Minden-Tahoe Airport in Douglas County, with as many as 14 aircraft from the Civil Air Patrol, the Nevada Air National Guard and Fallon Naval Air Station between Yerington and Bishop, California, all on duty.
Fossett’s plane was not found until a year later on Sept. 29, 2008, by two hikers exploring the area. The likely cause of the crash was “the pilot’s inadvertent encounter with downdrafts that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane,” the National Transportation Safety Board said.
Sept. 16, 2011: P-51 Mustang crashes into crowd at Reno Air Races
Eleven people were killed during the 2011 National Championship Air Races in Reno when Galloping Ghost, a highly modified WWII P-51 Mustang piloted by Jimmy Leeward, nosed-dived into the ground where spectators were sitting. At least 65 more people were seriously injured, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation, though other accounts report more.
“It was a war zone,” Linda Elvin, a survivor who lost her leg in the accident, told the RGJ in 2016.
The 2011 Reno air races crash is deadliest accident at the air races. In addition to Leeward and the spectators, 22 pilots and a wing-walker died in accidents at the air races since the 1970s.
July 17, 2022: Two planes collide at North Las Vegas airport
Donald Goldberg and Carol Ann Scanlon, who were flying a Piper PA-46, were completing a flight when they collided with flight instructor Anthony Chiaramonti and flight student Zachary Rainey above the North Las Vegas Airport in 2022. Chiaramonti and Rainey were conducting takeoffs and landings in a single-engine Cessna at the time.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation determined the crash was likely caused because of the Piper pilot’s “failure to ensure that the airplane was aligned with the correct runway,” reported KTNV. Air traffic control also likely failed to provide timely traffic information to either airplane or recognize the developing conflict which resulted in the tragedy.
Feb. 24, 2023: Care flight crash
A Pilatus PC-12 plane managed by Washoe’s Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority broke apart mid-flight outside Reno during a snow storm on Feb. 24 before crashing near Stagecoach. Five people died in the Care Flight that was on its way to transport a patient to Salt Lake City.
The crash was the fourth National Transportation Safety Board investigation involving a Guardian Flight-owned plane from 2018 to 2023, three of which were fatal and led to 11 deaths.
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Nevada
NEVADA VIEWS: Time for common-sense immigration reform
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The United States has long been a beacon of hope for immigrants seeking opportunity and a chance to chase their own American dream. America has always been a welcoming nation to those who embrace freedom and the responsibilities that come with it.
But we also have a responsibility to balance defending our borders, our values and our way of life with welcoming those who wish to join us. Those responsibilities are not mutually exclusive.
It is time to have an honest conversation without fearmongering or name calling, and it is time to separate those who seek solutions from those who benefit from chaos. You see, comprehensive immigration reform is something the Latin Chamber of Commerce has been advocating for years.
I recently had a deep discussion with Gov. Joe Lombardo. He made it clear that he absolutely supports deporting immigrants here illegally who have committed violent crimes on American soil. He supports deporting those here illegally who committed violent crimes prior to coming to America. Who among us would disagree? While we know that it’s not the majority, it is the fundamental responsibility of our government to keep us safe. That includes the small-business community.
Those advocating for open border policies are making a growing problem worse. Those entering our country must be vetted quickly and effectively so that we may expedite the legal immigration process and immediately capture, return or incarcerate violent criminals before they cross our borders.
Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C., must come together to work through important issues involving undocumented immigrants who are already here embracing America and all that comes with it. Decades of a broken immigration system, leaky border and fluctuating policies have created an entire population of people who have been chasing the American dream, following American laws, paying American taxes and working to make our communities stronger, safer and more prosperous. It seems equally unrealistic and unconscionable that those who have embraced our system and our values would be punished for a problem created by politicians unwilling to solve our larger border issues.
America must secure its borders first to protect this nation and its people from those who would do us harm. We must remove any dangerous criminals here illegally. And then we must come together as Americans to fix the broken legal immigration system that has caused so much pain for so many people.
While priority No. 1 must be fixing the border crisis, the “deferred action for childhood arrival” and “temporary protective status” programs cannot be ignored. Presidents of both parties have used these programs to protect long-term immigrants who are living and working in this country. We know that standing up for Dreamers has strong bipartisan support, and the TPS program was created by Congress, supported by both Republicans and Democrats. Acting to extend TPS protections and grant new TPS designations for countries that clearly qualify will keep immigrants from being sent back to extremely dangerous conditions while ensuring they can work and contribute here.
Let’s bring transparency and efficiency to our legal immigration process so we can celebrate the workers, small-business owners and entrepreneurs. In Nevada, there are more than 6,300 TPS holders and 10,500 DACA recipients who pay taxes and strengthen our economy. I speak every day with immigrants who are opening restaurants and stores, working in hospitality and driving critical industries. Our state depends on these people, and without DACA and TPS recipients, Nevada’s economy would suffer.
American exceptionalism is not just an idea, it is the definition of who we are. It is time that exceptionalism is used to solve a border crisis and fix an immigration system that has not worked for a very long time.
Peter Guzman is president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, NV.
Nevada
Point spread, betting odds for Boise State vs. Nevada men’s basketball
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The oddsmakers expect a close game Saturday afternoon between the Boise State and Nevada men’s basketball teams in Mountain West Conference play.
The Broncos (18-8, 10-5) are a short -112 favorite on the moneyline over Nevada (15-11, 7-8). The Wolf Pack is -108 on the moneyline.
For the point spread, the odds are juiced toward Nevada. Boise State is a 1.5-point favorite (+105) while taking Nevada at +1.5 comes at a -125 cost.
The over/under is set at 137.5 points.
Boise State enters Saturday’s 4 p.m. Mountain time road matchup with the Wolf Pack on the NCAA Tournament bubble. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm and ESPN’s Joe Lundardi both have Boise State just outside of their projected NCAA Tournament fields of 68.
The Broncos played their way back on the bubble Wednesday with an 86-78 home victory over MWC-leading New Mexico (22-5, 14-2).
Freshman Pearson Carmichael received his first college start against the Lobos and netted a career-high 21 points while making 4 of 8 attempts from 3-point range. Carmichael became the first Broncos freshman to score 20 or more points in a game since Tyson Degenhart, who did it twice during the 2021-22 season.
“He’s just been steadily getting better and more confident,” Boise State head coach Leon Rice said of Carmichael, a graduate of Summit High School in Bend, Oregon. “It’s like ‘All right, time to be a dude.’ We brought him here to be a dude. We’ve brought a lot of good freshmen into this program, and at some point — it was never the same point — but at some point they were handed the keys to the car, and they were ready for it. And he certainly looked that way (against New Mexico).”
Boise State improved to 12-1 at ExtraMile Arena with the victory over New Mexico, but the Broncos enter Saturday with a 3-5 road record.
Nevada, which suffered a 66-56 loss to the Broncos in January, is 10-4 at Lawlor Events Center this season.
Spread: Boise State -1.5 (+105), Nevada +1.5 (-125)
Moneyline: Boise State -112, Nevada -108
Over/under: 137.5 points
Records against the spread: Boise State 13-12, Nevada 13-13
Game time: 4 p.m. Mountain time | Saturday, Feb. 22
Location: Lawlor Events Center | Reno, Nevada
Live stream: Watch Boise State vs. Nevada live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)
TV channel: FS1
Odds are courtesy of DraftKings. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Nevada
Nevada corrections officer accused of sexually assaulting inmate
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A Nevada corrections officer is accused of sexually assaulting an inmate in a lawsuit obtained by FOX5.
The lawsuit accused a for-profit prison security company, CoreCivic Inc. of knowing about the physical and sexual assaults happening to prisoners by their employees and failing to investigate.
The lawsuit says inmate G.G. was transferred to the Nevada Southern Detention Center in May of 2023. It says she was forced to “living conditions that violated basic standards of hygiene and comfort.”
It says female detainees were forced to wear boxers and t-shirts during excessive heat, which was inappropriate and unhygienic.
It names officer Seth Bloodworth of being sexually aggressive toward G.G. and eventually leading to rapes.
The lawsuit says it started with small tasks that escalated to passing explicit notes. Allegedly, he said he would “put a baby in her.”
Bloodworth is accused of trapping G.G. in a closet and masturbating in front of her. The abuse would lead to rape.
There is no hearing date set yet in Nevada District Court.
Copyright 2025 KVVU. All rights reserved.
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