- Date
- May 18, 2013, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cleveland, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N81788Thomas David W Rans S-12 XL
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA\FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130518007409A
- Case key
- 86963
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 failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of overall recent flight experience and lack of experience in make and model.
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.
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 conducting his first flight in the two-seat experimental amateur-built airplane, with the non-certificated pilot/owner seated in the right seat. The pilot reported that the airplane accelerated and departed from the turf runway without incident; however, as it climbed to an altitude about 300 feet above the ground, he entered a left 180-degree turn. During the turn, the airplane inadvertently stalled, and descended into a pond, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Both occupants were able to exit the airplane and stated that they did not experience any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 1,600 hours of total flight experience with no previous flight hours in make and model. In addition, he had not flown at all during the previous 7 months. The owner had accumulated about 30 hours in the accident airplane. He stated that he had seen the pilot flying other airplanes in the past and assumed he was capable of the flying the accident airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot was conducting his first flight in the two-seat experimental amateur-built airplane, with the non-certificated pilot/owner seated in the right seat. The pilot reported that the airplane accelerated and departed from the turf runway without incident; however, as it climbed to an altitude about 300 feet above the ground, he entered a left 180-degree turn. During the turn, the airplane inadvertently stalled, and descended into a pond, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Both occupants were able to exit the airplane and stated that they did not experience any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 1,600 hours of total flight experience with no previous flight hours in make and model. In addition, he had not flown at all during the previous 7 months. The owner had accumulated about 30 hours in the accident airplane. He stated that he had seen the pilot flying other airplanes in the past and assumed he was capable of the flying the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81788
- Reported as
- Thomas David W Rans S-12 XL
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 10950663-0197
- Airframe hours
- 1,442
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Keri Jean Marazan
- Registered owner
- Keri Jean Marazan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 0GE5 · Cleveland, GA
- Destination
- 0GE5 · Cleveland, GA
- Airport
- 0GE5 · Mountain Airpark, runway 35, 2,500 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Unknown
- Last flight review
- October 20, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,580 total · 0 in this make and model · 1,570 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- GVL, 18 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 25, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.6 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.