Rans S19 accident near Crofton, NE
On August 26, 2024, a Rans S19 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Crofton, NE. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 26, 2024
- Place
- Crofton, NE
- Aircraft
- Rans S19 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 42.696°N, 97.551°W
- NTSB ID
- 20240826194999
Official records · CEN24FA326
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 26, 2024, about 0841, central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Rans S-19 airplane, N519JR, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Crofton, Nebraska. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed Norfolk Regional Airport (OFK), Norfolk, Nebraska, about 0730 then proceeded along a meandering flight path before heading north toward an unknown destination. About 0830, while within 5 nm of Chan Gurney Municipal Airport (YKN), Yankton, South Dakota, the pilot made a telephone call to his friend, who was a certificated pilot, to inquire about the weather and airport options. The pilot reported that he was unable to land in Yankton due to the weather. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating, and the airplane was equipped for only VFR operations. The friend suggested Albion Municipal Airport (BVN), Albion, Nebraska, because VFR weather conditions were reported there. The Automated Weather Observation Station (AWOS) at BVN, which was about 77 nm southwest of the flight’s location, reported clear skies and 10 miles visibility at 0835. The friend stated that the pilot seemed calm and did not mention if he was in IMC. After the telephone conversation, the friend sent a text message to the pilot at 0842 stating that an airport in Columbus, Nebraska, was also showing VFR weather conditions. Columbus was about 85 nm south of Yankton. Recovered flight track information from the airplane’s Garmin GPSMAP 396 showed that, at 0830,
Probable cause
The non-instrument-rated pilot's decision to continue visual flight into an area of low cloud cover and precipitation which resulted in an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
More accidents in NE
- Piper PA-32R-300, Oct 16, 1993
- Piper PA-31, Apr 14, 1986
- Raytheon Aircraft Company 58, Jan 11, 2013
- Cessna 210H, Jan 19, 1986
- Beech C35, Jun 17, 1984
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.
