Report issued in fatal air crash

A Carson City man who died in a June 14 plane crash in Woodfords appeared to be doing acrobatics before he crashed, according to a preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Jeffrey Zajicek, 39, died in the 11:39 a.m. crash of his Bellanca Citabria aerobatic plane about four miles northeast of Woodfords.

According to witnesses cited in the preliminary investigation, Zajicek appeared to be doing loops above the Carson River.

"He saw the airplane complete a loop and began a second loop," according to the witness statement.

"The airplane appeared to be fighting the wind and moving very slowly. He then heard a change in the motor, and saw the airplane bank to the right while slowly regaining speed. The airplane then came down, completing the second loop. The airplane then went back up into a third loop and came straight down, out of sight, and into the trees. He heard an awful sound, as if it had hit the rocks."

A second witness told investigators that the aircraft appeared to stall and descend in a tailspin. In the accident report, a friend of the pilot said Zajicek did not intend practicing aerobatics on this flight.

Zajicek had flown out of the Minden-Tahoe Airport.

The pilot and his wife moved to Carson City about three years ago from Alaska. Zajicek would have turned 40 on June 25. He worked for PanTechnicon Aviation in Minden.