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20240920022149A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Rans S-14 · Teague, TX · September 20, 2024

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Date
September 20, 2024 · 16:40 local
Place
Teague, TX
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
UNKN
Reported as
Rans S-14
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Recreational pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
386 total

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.

A witness spoke to the pilot and said that he had just completed maintenance that involved the adjustment of his carburetor and "control work", witness was uncertain if it was flight control or power controls. After adjustment the owner / pilot took the aircraft for what he called a "test flight". Aircraft started normal and took off normally. As the aircraft was in climb and crossed the airport property line at an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the aircraft lost power. Witness was uncertain if it went to idle or completely off. The aircraft immediately started to return to the airport. The sharp bank to return caused the aircraft to lose excessive altitude, once back on airport property the aircraft struck a tree, then the ground at a steep unnatural angle, this causing the aircraft to pancake (crushing the crew compartment) and bounced once to its final resting spot. Aircraft was completely mutilated, and the FAA was unable to investigate any controls to either power or flight, but it did reveal that one fuel tank was empty and the other still had approximately 1/4 of a tank of fuel. Complete fuel system lines from the tank to the carburetor was removed and sent to NTSB for further investigation which included a device that acted as a fuel selector

As the FAA filed it

A WITNESS SPOKE TO THE PILOT AND SAID THAT HE HAD JUST COMPLETED MAINTENANCE THAT INVOLVED THE ADJUSTMENT OF HIS CARBURETOR AND "CONTROL WORK", WITNESS WAS UNCERTAIN IF IT WAS FLIGHT CONTROL OR POWER CONTROLS. AFTER ADJUSTMENT THE OWNER / PILOT TOOK THE AIRCRAFT FOR WHAT HE CALLED A "TEST FLIGHT". AIRCRAFT STARTED NORMAL AND TOOK OFF NORMALLY. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CLIMB AND CROSSED THE AIRPORT PROPERTY LINE AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER. WITNESS WAS UNCERTAIN IF IT WENT TO IDLE OR COMPLETELY OFF. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE SHARP BANK TO RETURN CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO LOSE EXCESSIVE ALTITUDE, ONCE BACK ON AIRPORT PROPERTY THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE, THEN THE GROUND AT A STEEP UNNATURAL ANGLE, THIS CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PANCAKE (CRUSHING THE CREW COMPARTMENT) AND BOUNCED ONCE TO ITS FINAL RESTING SPOT. AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY MUTILATED, AND THE FAA WAS UNABLE TO INVESTIGATE ANY CONTROLS TO EITHER POWER OR FLIGHT, BUT IT DID REVEAL THAT ONE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE OTHER STILL HAD APPROXIMATELY 1/4 OF A TANK OF FUEL. COMPLETE FUEL SYSTEM LINES FROM THE TANK TO THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO NTSB FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION WHICH INCLUDED A DEVICE THAT ACTED AS A FUEL SELECTOR