# NTSB CEN25LA229: Rans S-14, N981CS, Guthrie, OK, July 1, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: June 30, 2025, 20:54 local (Jul 1, 2025, 01:54 UTC)
- Place: Guthrie, OK
- Coordinates: 35.793472, -97.485307 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.7935&lon=-97.4853&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: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200436
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA229
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200436/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA229

## Preliminary report

On June 30, 2025, about 2054 central daylight time, a Rans S-14 airplane, N981CS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Guthrie, Oklahoma. The non-certificated pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A witness reported that he told the non-certificated pilot that he was not allowed to fly the airplane and that he was only supposed to taxi the airplane. About 2015 the non-certificated pilot began to practice taxiing the airplane on the private airstrip. The witnesses stated that about 39 minutes had passed, and he no longer heard the airplane. Witnesses and several others began to search for the airplane; subsequently it was found crashed in a field about 1/2 mile west of the private airstrip with the engine still idling. The airplane was recovered for further examination.

## 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: [Rans S-14, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=0590113), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N981CS](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N981CS), registered now, S/N A122184 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: RANS S-14
- Registry model: [Rans S-14](https://openairdocs.org/model/rans-s-14) (registry code 0590113) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 503 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-503-series) (registry code 55564, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: A122184
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: PVT, Pvt

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observed at: KGOK, 5 nm away
- METAR: KGOK 010153Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 25/22 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP167 T02500217 $

## 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 20250630009039A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250630009039A), Jun 30, 2025: Rans S-14, Guthrie, OK, Destroyed, 1 fatal. At 2054 local on June 30th an experimental aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances near seward Oklahoma. The aircraft was located approximately 500 feet…

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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