Pilot Debrief

RANS S18 near Shattuck, OK — 2015-09-29

Final reportCEN15LA432
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Date
2015-09-29
Location
Shattuck, OK, USA
Aircraft
RANS S18
Registration
UNREG
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain control of the unregistered airplane during initial climb and his subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in a stall/spin.

NTSB narrative

The noncertificated pilot was conducting a personal flight in the noncertificated experimental, amateur-built airplane. The pilot had flown to the grass airstrip along with two other pilots, who were flying ultralight trike aircraft. One of the trike pilots reported that each pilot conducted two or three landings at the grass airstrip. The two trike pilots then taxied their aircraft to the northeast end of the airstrip to prepare to depart for the final takeoff. The accident airplane was faster than the trikes and departed while the trike pilots were still taxiing, so they did not see the accident airplane again, and no one witnessed the accident. The trike pilot stated that he believed that the accident airplane might have initially departed to the west, that he and the other trike pilot had departed to the southeast, and that it is possible that the accident pilot was turning his airplane to join them when the accident occurred. The airplane wreckage was subsequently located in a nearby field, and it was oriented to the southeast. The postaccident examination of the wreckage indicated that the airplane impacted terrain in a steep nose-down attitude consistent with a stall/spin. The examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Further, no evidence was found indicating that any medical conditions or substances contributed to the accident. It is likely that the pilot was turning to the southeast after departure and then failed to maintain airplane control and exceeded the airplane's critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in a stall/spin.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have waited for trikes to clear before taking off.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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