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Deadliest plane crashes that shaped Nevada’s history and what caused them

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Deadliest plane crashes that shaped Nevada’s history and what caused them


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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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How to watch Nevada basketball vs. Liberty in second round of NIT

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How to watch Nevada basketball vs. Liberty in second round of NIT


Nevada will try to advance to the quarterfinals of the NIT when the Wolf Pack hosts Liberty in a second-round NIT men’s basketball game on Saturday at Lawlor Events Center.

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

Nevada got a huge second-half effort to beat Murray State, 89-75, on Wednesday in a first-round game.

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The winner of the Nevada-Liberty game will face the winner of the Auburn-Seattle University game (3:30 p.m. Sunday; TV- ESPN2).

If Auburn wins Sunday, the No. 1 seed Tigers would host a quarterfinal game on either Tuesday or Wednesday. If Auburn loses to Seattle U on Sunday, and No. 2 seed Nevada wins, the Wolf Pack could host the quarterfinal game.

How to watch Nevada vs. Liberty

Liberty (26-7; 17-3 CUSA) at Nevada (23-12; 12-8 MW)

  • When: 6 p.m. Saturday
  • Where: Lawlor Events Center
  • TV/Stream: ESPN-Plus (Play-by-play Derek Jones; Analyst: John Williams)
  • Radio: 95.5 KNEV (Play-by-play: John Ramey; Analyst: Nick Fazekas)
  • Tickets: nevadawolfpack.evenue.net
  • Line: Nevada favored by 7.5

Last time out

Nevada beat Murray State 89-75 on Wednesday to advance.

As a team, the Pack shot 51 percent from the field, 33 percent from three, and 89 percent from the free-throw line. Vaughn Weems led the Pack offense with 23 points, and grabbing five rebounds. Corey Camper Jr. scored 17 points and was one rebound short of a career high with eight.

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Elijah Price led the Wolf Pack with 13 rebounds, 12 on the defensive end. He also had three steals, while Kaleb Lowery had two.

Nevada had just five turnovers while forcing 15 from the Racers, and outscored Murray State in points off turnovers (24-5), points in the paint (44-28), second-chance points (12-9) and fast-break points (17-9).

This is the first meeting between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Liberty Flames.

Liberty finished 17-3 in Conference USA regular season, earning the outright regular season title in the league for a second straight year.

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Zach Cleveland earned Conference USA Player of the Year, while head coach Ritchie McKay garnered CUSA Coach of the Year, along with four total All-CUSA performers and an All-Defensive team member.

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Alford: Crowd was into it and really loud in win over Murray State

Nevada basketball coach Steve Alford says the crowd was a big factor in Wednesday’s win over Murray State in the NIT

About Liberty

Nevada head coach Steve Alford said Liberty should have received an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The Flames won Conference USA’s regular season by three games.

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“We know we have a really, really good basketball team coming in here Saturday,” Alford said. “We’ve got a really tough matchup with Liberty.”

Liberty broke a tie game with 1:18 left to beat George Mason 77-71 on Tuesday in their first-round NIT game.

The game was tied at 67 with 1:18 to play in the game, but the Flames scored 10 of the next 12 points to close out their second-ever NIT victory and second victory over an A-10 foe this season.

Liberty improved to 26-7 overall. It was the Flames’ 11th road win of the year.

For Liberty in Tuesday’s win, Josh Smith, making his first start since Dec. 16, turned in his best performance in a Flames jersey with a season-high 23 points along with nine rebounds. Smith was 7-of-9 from the field, 2-of-2 from three-point territory and 7-of-8 from the foul line. Brett Decker Jr. added 17 points, and Zander Carter notched career highs in points (10) and rebounds (6).

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The Flames average 78.1 points per game while Nevada averages 76.3.

The Flames average 10,6 3-pointers per game while the Wolf Pack averages 6.6

Liberty University is a private, evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, founded in 1971.



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AC problems spike as temps rise; Nevada Legal Services shares what tenants should know

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AC problems spike as temps rise; Nevada Legal Services shares what tenants should know


LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — As temperatures rise, FOX5 hears from more viewers dealing with air conditioning problems at home.

For tenants, those issues can quickly turn into questions about safety, repairs and what to do if a landlord doesn’t respond.

Nevada Legal Services said it also sees a spike in tenant complaints when it gets hotter.

Attorneys there said tenants do have rights, but warned that there are certain steps people should take — and others they should avoid — because making the wrong move in Nevada can lead to serious problems.

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‘Pretty common, especially in the summer’

John Brogden, a senior attorney with Nevada Legal Services, said air conditioning issues are one of the most frequent problems he sees when the weather heats up.

“It’s pretty common, especially in the summer. We get a lot of air conditioning issues,” Brogden said.

MORE: No AC for 24 days: Las Vegas family reaches out to FOX5 for home warranty help

Brogden said extreme heat in Southern Nevada can put extra stress on homes and apartments, making repairs a common issue this time of year.

Two key categories: habitability vs. essential services

Brogden said Nevada law generally breaks these types of problems into two categories: habitability issues and essential services issues.

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“There’s a lot of overlap in the language of the two statutes, but the way that I look at it is essential services,” Brogden said. “It’s something that, without it, that unit’s pretty much uninhabitable… like you would not want to live there.”

He said habitability issues can be problems that still affect a tenant’s ability to live safely in a unit, such as a slow leak coming through the wall.

The difference matters because it can change how a tenant should respond.

Withholding rent can be risky in Nevada

Brogden said one of the first things many people consider is withholding rent, but he warned that can be risky in Nevada.

“In which case, the landlord may or may not fix the issue and the person is out on the street for however long,” Brogden said. “The eviction process here is very quick. It’s not like California.”

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For a habitability issue, Brogden said tenants may have to wait 14 days for a landlord to make a reasonable effort to fix the problem.

And if a tenant chooses to withhold rent, Brogden said it is not as simple as just not paying.

“If it’s a habitability issue, they are required to put that money into escrow with the court,” Brogden said. “At the time they file their answer and say, ‘Hey, this is the reason I withheld my rent.’ It’s not that I just don’t want to pay my rent. So, they have to, in good faith, give that money to the court.”

Essential services: 48-hour window (excluding weekends/holidays)

When it comes to an essential service, Brogden said landlords are generally required to take a reasonable step within 48 hours — not including holidays or weekends.

Other options may include paying for certain repairs and deducting the cost from rent or, in some cases, terminating the lease — which can be complicated.

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What tenants should do first

Brogden said the first step in either case is to notify the landlord in writing, contacting them using the method outlined in the lease, if available.

He emphasized that every situation is different and whether something counts as a habitability issue or an essential services issue depends on the facts of the case.

Brogden said tenants should get legal advice — including through Nevada Legal Services — before taking action.

Nevada Legal Services warning: Don’t use AI for legal demands

Nevada Legal Services also warned tenants not to rely on AI chatbots to draft legal claims or demands to landlords.

Attorneys said they have been seeing more of that and that chatbots can misstate Nevada law, hurt a tenant’s credibility or create problems later in court.

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Nevada Lt. Gov. Anthony fined $3K in trans-athlete ethics case

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Nevada Lt. Gov. Anthony fined K in trans-athlete ethics case



Anthony used staff time, government equipment to promote ‘Protect Women’s Sports’ task force

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  • Ethics commission voted 3-2 against Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony.
  • Anthony says he should be allowed to advocate for issues he feels passionately about.
  • Ethics commission director says government resources can’t be used to promote personal projects.

A Nevada ethics panel fined Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony $3,000 over use of state resources to promote a task force to keep trans athletes out of women’s sports.

Anthony, a Republican, is running for reelection.

The March 18 vote against Anthony was 3 to 2 by the Nevada Commission on Ethics.

In addition to the fine, he’s required to obtain ethics training within 60 days and develop a social media policy for his office.

Anthony created the “Task Force to Protect Women’s Sports” in late 2024 after the Nevada women’s volleyball team made national news by refusing to play San Jose State University for having a transgender player on its team.

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“I decided I was very passionate about protecting female athletes,” he testified before the Nevada Legislature in February 2025. “I wanted to support the University of Nevada, Reno volleyball team who came out very courageously on their stand. That is why I created this task force.”

Anthony’s official government X account shared posts about task force events, and staff from the state’s Office of Small Business Advocacy — under Anthony’s authority — sent out emails about the task force. Anthony’s chief of staff testified the task force was not a function of the office.

The ethics commission’s vote served to “admonish the lieutenant governor for his actions in violation of the ethics law,” its motion said.

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The Reno Gazette Journal contacted Anthony and his attorney, the ethics commission and Lindsey Harmon, a reproductive rights advocate who made the initial ethics complaint, for comment. None immediately responded.

Stavros Anthony’s defense of his actions

Anthony’s attorneys argued in legal filings that he did not violate any state laws “because there are no statutes, rules, regulations, policies or other authority prohibiting Mr. Anthony from advocating on political issues, supporting political causes, or from forming the Task Force.”

They added he had no financial interest in the task force, and that elected officials should be allowed to advocate for political positions.

“Under such a standard as urged by the Director (Ross Armstrong of the ethics commission), a public officer, for example, speaking at an official function or writing in official correspondence, stating that he or she is passionate about such issues as veterans’ rights or health care could be found to have violated ethics laws,” his attorneys wrote in a filing.

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Ethics director’s argument against Anthony

Armstrong responded in a filing that the case was not about being able to advocate for causes one believes in.

“It’s about the undisputed use of specifically allocated taxpayer funds through staff, time, property and equipment on his significant personal interest rather than the government interests of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Office of Small Business Advocacy,” Armstrong wrote. “Doing so violates the Ethics Law.”

He noted that Anthony’s government staff used state email systems to set up and coordinate efforts of the task force, promoted it on their government X feeds, and created talking points, press releases and other materials supporting it.

Armstrong added Anthony “used influence over subordinates to benefit the Task Force.”

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Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.



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