AAFO.COM
Reno 2001 Update
Sept 05, 2001
by: Wayne Sagar

"We’re Done"

These were words nobody wanted to hear but they were the opening words of an early morning conversation with race team owner Bob Button today. His Race #5 "Voodoo" was eliminated from competition for the 2001 Reno National Championship Air Races when a catastrophic engine failure during testing yesterday forced pilot, Matt Jackson, to dead stick onto the runway at Eagles Nest, in Ione, California.

"I was about five miles from the airport and just coming up on the power, all the temps and pressures were good," Jackson told us of his experience yesterday, adding: "we were at 90 inches, which is only combat emergency power and it just went."

Things could have been worse for Matt and the race team, with the engine failure occurring close to the departure airport allowing a safe return to ground, Jackson told us about his successful emergency landing. "My speeds were good and my altitude was good, I was about 5000 feet AGL when it went. I turned a little so I could see the runway between the oil streaks, I was in good position, did a 270 degree turn and got it down."

Matt continued recounting the event, "I’ve never had one let go like that, it was an experience! It has a one piece molded induction trunk, the force of the ‘sneeze’ was so big that it [the trunk] looked like a rag wadded up in the bottom of the cowling."

The exact cause of the failure is unknown at this time, but the extent of the damage is extreme, both Button and Jackson indicate that the failure was massive and there are rods and various internal parts of the engine protruding from the sides of the crankcase.

This latest setback to the race team comes after a long and colorful quest for the top position at Reno that has been fraught with mechanical problems and mishaps. Last year after an extremely good showing all week and an unofficial second place finishing position, Jackson was penalized for being ahead of the pace plane at the start of the Sunday final Gold race, moving him back to the fifth slot.

Button had placed Voodoo up for sale earlier this year, it is unknown if the airplane is still for sale or if Button will continue racing.

The Voodoo Race Team will be at Reno in support of Button’s L-39, which is entered into the inaugural Jet Class race. There will be Voodoo merchandise for sale in their pit. We encourage all fans to stop by and support Bob Button and the Voodoo Race Team!