CEN23LA184

NTSB accident investigation · Rans S7 · Gardner, KS · May 13, 2023

Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
May 13, 2023, 15:42 local (20:42 UTC)
Place
Gardner, KS · Partially on grass and partially on asphalt taxiway at the airport
Injuries
1 serious, 1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N8932LRans S7
Defining event
Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA Kansas City FSDO
FAA report
20230513016799A
Case key
174534

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 pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at too low of an altitude to recover.

Findings · 4

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotJackson Letts RANS S7S: 1 caseAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedJackson Letts RANS S7S: 1 caseAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: angle of attackAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedJackson Letts RANS S7S: 1 caseAll aircraft: 990 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The pilot was in the front seat and a passenger, who is a flight instructor, was in the rear seat. Due to his injuries, the pilot was unable to recall what happened during the accident sequence. The passenger reported that during the takeoff, the airplane began to drift to the right. The airplane came near another airplane that was on the grass and the pilot “pitched up” to avoid the other airplane. The airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at an altitude too low to allow for recovery. The passenger estimated the aerodynamic stall occurred at 50 ft agl. The airplane impacted terrain, came to rest upright, and a postimpact fire ensued. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The passenger reported that the engine was producing full power until the time of impact, and he did not hear any abnormal engine noises during the accident flight. A postaccident examination confirmed flight control continuity for the airframe.

Aircraft

Registration
N8932L
Reported as
Rans S7 (S)
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
0318630
Built
2022
Engine
Rotax Aircraft Engines 912iS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Airport
K34 · Gardner Muni, runway 26, 2,399 × 36 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Unknown

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
61
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
BasicMed, Unknown
Seat
Front
Flight hours
0 total · 0 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
250° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
84 °F, dew point 61 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
KIXD, 3 nm away
METAR
KIXD 131953Z 25008KT 10SM CLR 29/16 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP148 T02890161

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.5 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.