Silvius RANS S-12XL UNREG

Summary

On 6 January 2003 at about 22:48 local time, a Silvius RANS S-12XL registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Laramie, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 January 2003 at 22:48

Classification

Accident

Location

Laramie, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

41.3142, -105.6039

Aircraft

Silvius RANS S-12XL

Registration

UNREG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Laramie → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN03FA030

1 person died.

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush. Contributing factors include the pilot's use of an over-the-counter antihistamine, and the pilot's inadequate in-flight decision to fly at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The ultra light was observed flying over a city park at a very low altitude and very slow. Several witnesses in the park reported that the pilot waved at them and was smiling. One witness said the aircraft's wings rocked several times, its nose pointed at the ground, it rotated to the right, and it crashed. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies were identified that might have affected the airplane's performance. Toxicological analysis on two different specimens of the pilot's blood performed at two different locations indicated two substantially different levels of ethanol. No other specimens were tested for ethanol. The pilot's autopsy was conducted 3 days following the accident, and it is not possible to determine conclusively whether the ethanol reported is from ingestion or post-mortem production. A half-full bottle of alcohol was found in the pilot's vehicle. Toxicology examination also revealed high levels of diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects, often known by the trade name Benadryl. The pilot had been prescribed a low dose of Effexor (venlafaxine), a prescription antidepressant medication.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.