NTSB releases report after plane crashes into RV lot during NHRA finale at Pomona

Back on November 17 at Pomona Fairplex, the NHRA Nationals finale was put on hold due to a small-engine plane crash at the track. Now we have the report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Like many racing events, there was a small flyover at Pomona. It is unsure if this plane was involved in the flyover, but it was in the area around the same time. When the plane attempted to land, that is when things got scary.

Thankfully, no one was injured on the ground from the crash. There were injuries to the passengers onboard, but non-life-threatening. The NTSB report gives us a picture of how things went down that day.

“The pilot performed pre-landing checklist items and observed no anomalies with the airplane,” the report says, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “The controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 26R and after he had turned onto final, the engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, checked the fuel boost pump, however, was unable to restore engine power. “He attempted to land on a road west of the Pomona Fairplex, however, the airplane descended into a parking lot and struck multiple unoccupied vehicles before it came to rest upright about 1,000 ft from the approach end of runway 26R.”

So, it sounds like a true accident. It is good to know that there wasn’t anything untoward going on in the plane. These things happen. Engine failures can happen.

When a plane falls out of the air, it’s scary. The fact no one was killed on the ground during the accident is amazing.

Tony Stewart racing NHRA Top Fuel again in 2025

In other NHRA news, Smoke is back in Top Fuel. Leah Pruett is going to do the mom thing for at least another year. Racing will have to wait for her. Meanwhile, Tony Stewart has bills to pay and races to win.

Stewart is the 2024 Rookie of the Year in the division. He has learned quickly, as he has throughout his life, how to race the high-powered Top Fuel car. Everyone wants to see the racing legend do well.

Now that he is no longer in NASCAR ownership, Stewart has more time. He is going to have to use a lot of that free time to be a dad, of course. But it can’t help his operations at Tony Stewart Racing at all.

After 2025, NHRA will no longer have Toyota as a manufacturer in the sport. That could be a warning sign for the sport. But right now, they are going to keep it business as usual.