20230513016799A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Jackson Letts RANS S7S · Gardner, KS · May 13, 2023

Date
May 13, 2023 · 15:42 local
Place
Gardner, KS
Airport
Gardner Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8932L
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA184
Reported as
Jackson Letts Rans S7S
Reported engine
ROTAX 912 IS
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,820 total22 in this make and model22 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 05/13/2023 at approximately 15:40 local time, during takeoff roll, the aircraft rotated at a slower than normal airspeed and entered an apparent stall at approximately 30-50 feet above the ground. The aircraft banked sharply to the right and struck the ground, coming to rest in the grass area between runway 26 and the adjacent taxiway. The aircraft was destroyed and a post-impact fire ensued.

As the FAA filed it

ON 05/13/2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:40 LOCAL TIME, DURING TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED AT A SLOWER THAN NORMAL AIRSPEED AND ENTERED AN APPARENT STALL AT APPROXIMATELY 30-50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT BANKED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND STRUCK THE GROUND, COMING TO REST IN THE GRASS AREA BETWEEN RUNWAY 26 AND THE ADJACENT TAXIWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND A POST-IMPACT FIRE ENSUED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.