Rans S-7 N272X

Summary

On 21 October 2015 at about 18:15 local time, a Rans S-7 registered N272X, operated by Jason Sneed - Monika Bonczkova, was involved in an accident near Gerlach, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 October 2015 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gerlach, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

40.3919, -119.2133

Aircraft

Rans S-7

Registration

N272X

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Jason Sneed - Monika Bonczkova

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairfield → Herlong

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA026

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain pitch and airspeed control, in conjunction with full flaps, while maneuvering at a low altitude, resulting in a tail-stall and subsequent impact with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, while flying in a high desert valley, he intended to perform a low pass over a remote airstrip to assess its suitability for landing in the future. The pilot reported that prior to the pass, he slowed the airplane and added full flaps. He said that in this airplane configuration, following a left turn, the "flight controls in pitch became loose as if the tail stalled," and right afterward "the nose pitched down." He reported that he added power, and that his sensation was "that the plane was flying but being pushed to the ground with no feedback from the elevator." The pilot reported that as he approached the ground, he applied back pressure but the airplane impacted the ground hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior, to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation. It is likely that the airplane's configuration in conjunction with the reduced airspeed induced a tail stall pitching the nose down, due to the absence of tail-down force.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.