Pilot Debrief

RANS S18 near Fayetteville, TN — 2011-08-02

Final reportERA11FA435
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Date
2011-08-02
Location
Fayetteville, TN, USA
Aircraft
RANS S18
Registration
UNREG
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent flight experience.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent flight experience.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was making his inaugural flight in the recently purchased, recently reassembled unregistered experimental airplane. After the pilot's initial takeoff from his home airstrip, witnesses saw the airplane turn back toward the runway then lost sight of it behind a tree line. They continued to hear the airplane's engine operate until hearing the airplane impact the ground. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preexisting mechanical anomalies, and structural damage indicated that it had impacted the ground in a stall/spin to the right. The pilot had not flown in about 6 years, and when a family member suggested that he get some refresher flight training before his first flight in the airplane, the pilot declined to do so.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have received flight instruction before first solo flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents10

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