- Date
- October 24, 2008, 12:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Breckenridge, TX
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N20530Rans S-12XL
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20081024849699A
- Case key
- 69352
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he had flown over to a neighboring airport in clear weather, with wind from the south at five to six knots. He took off on runway 17 and turned left base for a touch-and-go landing on runway 22. He noted that he allowed his airspeed to get too low on short final and he then applied power for a go-around. He made a slight left turn, but the airplane's right wing "dropped in [a] stall." The pilot was unable to recover. The pilot told a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On October 24, 2008, approximately 1210 central daylight time, a Rans S-12XL Airaile, N20530, registered to and operated by an airline transport certificated pilot, was destroyed when the it struck terrain during an attempted go-around at Stephens County Airport (BKD), Breckenridge, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane were seriously injured. The local flight originated at Eastland Municipal Airport (ETN), Eastland, Texas at 1200. According to the pilot's accident report, he had flown over to a neighboring airport. He said the weather was clear and the wind was from the south at five to six knots. There was no other traffic in the pattern. He took off on runway 17 and turned left base for a touch and-go landing on runway 22. He allowed his airspeed to get too low on short final and he applied power for a go-around. He made a slight left turn, but the airplane's right wing "dropped in [a] stall." The pilot was unable to recover. The pilot told an FAA inspector there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20530
- Reported as
- Rans S-12XL (Airaile)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 12010937
- Airframe hours
- 277
- Engine
- Bombardier Rotex 912SL, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henry K. Jaeger
- Registered owner
- Henry K. Jaeger
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 26, 2008 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- ETN · Eastland, TX
- Destination
- BKD · Breckenridge, TX
- Airport
- BKD · Stephens County, runway 22, 2,399 × 50 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 13, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 230 in this make and model · 105 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- BKD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.