# Accident 19970906028279A: Amtr RANSS12, Tuscola, IL, September 6, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 6, 1997, 10:30 local time
- Place: Tuscola, IL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.7907° N, 88.2810° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7907&lon=-88.2810&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7304Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7304Q-1999-04-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Higgins J R/Higgins B J RANS S-12 XL (registry code 05602WM, https://openairdocs.org/model/higgins-j-r-higgins-b-j-rans-s-12-xl) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR RANSS12
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX503
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 103 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA287](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA287) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970906028279A

## Narrative

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

(.4) THE PILOT SAID THAT HE AND THE PASSENGER WERE MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF THE PASSENGER'S HOUSE. HE SAID, 'AT A CRUISE SPEED OF 60 MILES PER HOUR AND 6,000 RPM, AT 500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND A HEADING OF 300-DEGREES, WE ENTERED A SHALLOW RIGHT TURN AROUND THE WEST SIDE OF THE HOUSE. AFTER PASSING THE NORTH SIDE AND HEADING DOWN THE EAST SIDE OF THE HOUSE (HEADING APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 180-DEGREES), WE STARTED TO LOSE ALTITUDE.' THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE AND ADDED FULL POWER. HE THEN RAISED THE NOSE TO A LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND.  'AT THIS POINT, IMPACT WITH THE GROUND WAS IMMINENT.'  EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO ANOMALY.                                                       (-23) THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS IN A SHALLOW RIGHT TURN AT 500 FEET ABOVE GROUND, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED DESCENDING.  HE ADDED FULL POWER BUT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST THE DESCENT PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.  THE WEATHER WAS GOOD WITH LIGHT WINDS.

## 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 CHI97LA287](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA287), Sep 6, 1997: Higgens Rans S-12 XL (N7304Q), Tuscola, IL, destroyed. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

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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