Rans Inc S-16 SHEKARI accident near Pierce, NE
On March 21, 2018, a Rans Inc S-16 SHEKARI (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pierce, NE. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 21, 2018
- Place
- Pierce, NE
- Aircraft
- Rans Inc S-16 SHEKARI · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.239°N, 97.597°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180323X80643
Official records · CEN18FA126
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 21, 2018, about 1845 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Rans S-16 Shekari airplane, N741WT, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain about ¼ mile from the approach end of runway 11 at a private airstrip near Pierce, Nebraska. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight; no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed Norfolk Regional Airport/Karl Stefan Memorial Field (OFK), Norfolk, Nebraska, and was returning to the private airstrip, which was owned by the pilot, when the accident occurred. A surveillance video from OFK showed that the airplane arrived at the fuel pump area about 1730 and that the pilot obtained fuel for his airplane. The OFK manager stated that the pilot purchased 16.5 gallons of 100 low-lead (100 LL) fuel. The surveillance video then showed that the pilot walked around the airplane from the left wing to the empennage and then the right wing. He then walked in the opposite direction and entered the airplane from the left side of the canopy. About 1740, the pilot closed the canopy. About 1741, the propeller began to rotate. About 1742, the airplane departed the fuel pump area and exited the camera's view. A witness stated that she was outside of her home about 1845 when she heard the accident airplane and was waiting for the airplane to fly over her house as the pilot had done during past flights. She stat
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the approach for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and the airplane's impact with terrain.
More accidents in NE
- Piper PA-32R-300, Oct 16, 1993
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Browse: Nebraska · Rans aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
