Rans S 6S N171CT

Summary

On 22 August 2014 at about 17:30 local time, a Rans S 6S registered N171CT was involved in an accident near Rigby, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 August 2014 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Rigby, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Rigby (U56)

Coordinates

43.6425, -111.9294

Aircraft

Rans S 6S

Registration

N171CT

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Idaho Falls → Rigby

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14CA352

2 people had minor injuries.

The student pilot's loss of directional control during takeoff in gusting wind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's failure to intervene and apply corrective flight control inputs.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The light sport flight instructor was providing flight instruction to the owner of the experimental, amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped light sport airplane. The airplane was equipped with side-by-side seating; the owner sat in the left seat and was the flying pilot, and the instructor sat in the right seat. They departed the home, non-towered airport and flew uneventfully to an airport with an operating air traffic control tower, where they practiced landings and takeoffs. They then returned to the home airport for additional landings and takeoffs. All portions of the flight through that point were uneventful. After returning to, and making at least one landing back at the home airport, the pilot was attempting a takeoff from runway 19. Either at or shortly after liftoff, the airplane was struck by an "unexpected wind gust," which resulted in a loss of directional control. The student pilot was unable to regain control, and the flight instructor did not physically intervene, before the airplane struck a hangar located about 270 feet from the runway centerline. The right wing sustained substantial damage when it struck the hangar. The airplane then passed between that hangar and an adjacent one. The flight instructor did not offer any explanation as to why he did not intervene. The measured wind at an airport located about 10 miles southwest of the accident airport was reported as 320 degrees at 8 knots about 37 minutes prior to the accident, and as 090 degrees at 3 knots about 23 minutes after the accident. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.