Bill Darling RANS S9 N93WD

Summary

On 15 May 2003 at about 23:40 local time, a Bill Darling RANS S9 registered N93WD was involved in an accident near Green Cove Sprg, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 2003 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Green Cove Sprg, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Haller Airpark (7FL4)

Coordinates

29.9031, -81.6858

Aircraft

Bill Darling RANS S9

Registration

N93WD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Green Cove Sprg → Green Cove Sprg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA03LA109

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he performed a normal preflight and started the engine per the checklist. He performed an engine run-up before takeoff which included checking the magnetos; no discrepancies were reported. The flight departed from runway 18 with 8 gallons of automotive fuel, and at approximately 250 feet , the engine failed. The airplane crashed into a tree line, and after coming to rest, he evacuated the airplane. According to an FAA inspector who examined the airplane and accident site area, a witness reported observing the airplane take off from runway 18, and when the flight was approximately 200 feet above ground level during the upwind leg, he heard the engine experience a loss of power. The airplane was observed to bank to the left and continued the turn. The witness lost sight of the airplane due to obstructions and reported hearing the accident. Examination of the accident site by the FAA inspector revealed the airplane descended nearly vertically and came to rest upright in a wooded area. Both wing fuel tanks were breached; the smell of fuel was noted. The propeller was rotated by hand revealing the engine was not seized. Impact damage to the ignition system and fuel injector precluded operation of the engine or bench testing of the components. No determination was made as to the reason for the loss of engine power. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.