Aviation Crash Map

Rans S91 N9291T

22 November 1997 · Phoenix, Arizona, United States · Minor injuries

Summary

On 22 November 1997 at about 18:02 local time, a Rans S91 registered N9291T was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 18:02
Classification
Accident
Location
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Coordinates
33.4892, -111.9193
Aircraft
Rans S91
Registration
N9291T
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
LAX98LA041

People

1 person had minor injuries.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 1 0

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin during the forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft was on its initial test flight following construction and certification. Following takeoff, the pilot flew for nearly an hour while exploring the handling qualities of the aircraft. After returning to the airport, the pilot made a pass over the airstrip to check controllability in the landing configuration. In his statement he reported that in initiating the missed approach he 'applied full power and pulled to 55 IAS and 2.5G's at 300 feet agl . . .(then) I pushed over and reduced to 5000 rpm.' At this point, the pilot noticed a loss of rpm, followed 5 seconds later by a complete loss of engine power. He turned toward a landing site, and at 10 feet agl started to flare for touchdown. The pilot stated that the airplane was not flying and he had no control of the aircraft. The aircraft touched down hard on a dirt road. The pilot reported that the engine was free to rotate, with no evidence of internal failure. He believes the loss of power was due to a fuel system vent blockage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other accidents in this area

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no coordinates
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