Nichols Rans, Inc. S-14 accident near Benson, AZ
On July 18, 2008, a Nichols Rans, Inc. S-14 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Benson, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 18, 2008
- Place
- Benson, AZ
- Aircraft
- Nichols Rans, Inc. S-14 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.000°N, 110.358°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080804X01147
Official records · LAX08LA231
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 18, 2008, at an unknown time, an experimental Nichols Rans, Inc., S-14, N923GN, collided with terrain about 1 mile east of the Benson Municipal Airport (E95), Benson, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certificated commercial pilot was killed; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country flight departed Marana Regional Airport, Tucson, Arizona, at an unknown time, with a planned destination of Benson Municipal Airport before continuing to Idabel, Oklahoma. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed. A 911 call came into the Benson Police Department Dispatch Center about 1300 mountain standard time (MST), from a local area resident who had been driving to the airport the day of the accident. He and a companion in the car noticed a tail sticking up from behind a hill adjacent to the road. They went to investigate the site, and found the airplane and pilot. According to the new owner of the airplane, he had purchased the airplane on eBay, and had hired the accident pilot to fly the airplane to his location in Oklahoma. The day the airplane crashed, the pilot was embarking on the first leg of the flight. The National Transportation Safety Board was provided with a receipt for 8.00 gallons of fuel purchased at 1120 from Marana Airport on the day of the accident. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The experimental airplane was a 1993 Nichols Rans, Inc., S-14 Airaile, N923GN, serial number 0393064. The airworth
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment from recent marijuana use.
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Browse: Arizona
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
