Rans S7 accident near Kingsland, TX
On April 21, 2019, a Rans S7 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Kingsland, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 21, 2019
- Place
- Kingsland, TX
- Aircraft
- Rans S7 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 30.678°N, 98.418°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190421X80542
Official records · CEN19FA122
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 21, 2019, at 1443 central daylight time, a Rans S-7S airplane, N25TX, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Kingsland, Texas. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A witness reported that the pilot had just completed a few touch-and-go landings at Shirley Williams Airport before the passenger boarded the airplane. He saw the airplane taxi back to the runway, then heard it impact the ground shortly thereafter. Another witness reported observing what he considered a "normal" takeoff, followed by a steep 15 to 20 second climb. At the top of the climb, the nose and left wing suddenly dropped, and the airplane entered a left-turning spiral, completing 3 to 4 slow rotations before impact with the ground. He stated that the engine sounded normal the whole time and he did not notice anything wrong. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONAccording to the second witness who observed the accident, in March 2019, the pilot and passenger (who was also a mechanic) had completed maintenance work on the carburetors and synchronized them so that the engine ran smooth. The week before the accident, the pilot and passenger had dinner with the witness and told him that they were troubleshooting an issue where the engine would sputter during steep climbs. They told the witness that they cleaned the gascolator, checked the fuel lines, and verified that the propeller was adjusted correctly. The witness stated that, 1 day before the accident, the pilot flew the airplane with
Probable cause
The exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a steep climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain.
More accidents in TX
- Kubicek BB85, Jul 30, 2016
- Robertson C-414, Jul 29, 1982
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- Beech B100, Nov 26, 1983
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Browse: Texas · 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.
