# Accident 19970720018889A: Amtr RANSS9, Mckinney, TX, July 20, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 20, 1997, 19:25 local time
- Place: Mckinney, TX
- Airport: Aero Country Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.1709° N, 96.7010° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1709&lon=-96.7010&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1678N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1678N-2017-07-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hillam Scott L RANS S-9 (registry code 05626H3, https://openairdocs.org/model/hillam-scott-l-rans-s-9) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR RANSS9
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Student
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97FA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97FA274) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970720018889A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED MAKING A HIGH SPEED LOW PASS, ENGINE LOST POWER, CRASHED INTO TREES. (-23) AIRCRAFT MADE A LOW PASS DOWN RUNWAY AT AERO COUNTRY. AIRCRAFT PULLED UP AND A LEFT TURN WAS INITIATED. ENGINE LOST POWER AT TOP OF PULLUP, AIRCRAFT STALLED AND CRASHED INTO TREES AT EDGE OF RUNWAY. PILOT KILLED ON IMPACT. AIRCRAFT BURNED ON IMPACT.                                             (.19) ON JULY 19, 1997, AT 1925 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A HILLAM RANS S-9 EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N1678N, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE ATTEMPTING A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AFTER EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB NEAR MCKINNEY, TEXAS. THE STUDENT PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM THE AERO COUNTRY AIRPARK APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES AT THE AIRPARK REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE EXECUTED A HIGH SPEED LOW PASS OVER RUNWAY 17. ABOUT 3/4 DOWN THE 2,950 FOOT RUNWAY, THE PILO                                                           T INTIATED A "SHARP PULL UP" ESTABLISHING A PRONOUNCED NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. WITNESSES FURTHER REPORTED HEARING THAT THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THEY OBSERVED THAT THE 3-BLADED PROPELLER HAD STOPPED AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE BETWEEN 350 TO 400 FEET AGL. THE WITNESSES FURTHER STATED THAT THE PILOT ESTABLISHED A GLIDE AS HE TURNED TO A NORTHERLY HEADING TOWARDS THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES CONTINUED TO WATCH THE AIRPLANE "EXPECTING A DOWNWIND LANDING", BUT INSTEAD, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED NORTHBOUND UNTIL HE WAS AT A HEIGHT OF 50 FEET AGL. AT THAT POINT THE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE "ROLL INTO A SHARP TURN TO THE LEFT." THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES IN A NEAR VERTICL ATTITUDE. SEVERAL FRIENDS OF THE PILOT TOLD THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE THAT THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY OWNED ONE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE AND ANOTHER HOME BUILT AIRPLANE PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ABOUT ONE YEAR EARILER. THE PILOT HAD PERFORMED SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS TO "IMPROVE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE" AND WAS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF "EXPERIMENTING" WITH THE CARBURETOR AND FUEL SYSTEM TO INCREASE THE POWER OUTPUT OF THE INSTALLED ROTAX ENGINE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW97FA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97FA274), Jul 20, 1997: Hillam Rans S-9 (N1678N), Mckinney, TX, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s), and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in a stall and collision with the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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