# NTSB CEN23LA184: Rans S7, N8932L, Gardner, KS, May 13, 2023

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final 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.
- Coordinates: 38.810442, -94.953917 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8104&lon=-94.9539&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor
- 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
- NTSB case key (mKey): 174534
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA184
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/174534/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=174534
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA184

## 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

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: task monitoring/vigilance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 330 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)
- [Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md)
- [Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md)
- [Post-impact: Fire/smoke (post-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170/sequence.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 354 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170/sequence.md)
- [Post-impact: Evacuation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460); cases with it: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460/sequence.md?model=056405T), [All aircraft, 103 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460/sequence.md)

## 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](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8932L), registered now, S/N 0318630, built 2022 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: RANS S7 (S)
- Registry model: [Jackson Letts RANS S7S](https://openairdocs.org/model/jackson-letts-rans-s7s) (registry code 056405T) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 912 IS series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912-is-series) (registry code 55593, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 0318630
- Year built: 2022
- Engines: 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

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 61; injuries: serious; 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

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20230513016799A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230513016799A), May 13, 2023: Jackson Letts RANS S7S, Gardner, KS, Destroyed. 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…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=174534. 9.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 4.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15840387&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120_1%20Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Various statements (item 2, PDF, 5 pages, 283 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15749547&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Various%20Statements%20Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Accident photographs (item 3, PDF, 4 pages, 4.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15740812&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Photographs-Rel.pdf

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.

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