Rans S-6ES N123TG

Summary

On 29 July 2023 at about 23:00 local time, a Rans S-6ES registered N123TG was involved in an accident near Ozark, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 July 2023 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Ozark, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Etna Airport (2AR1)

Coordinates

35.3693, -93.8375

Aircraft

Rans S-6ES

Registration

N123TG

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA338

2 people had minor injuries.

Oil starvation of the propeller speed reduction unit which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that on his second flight in the airplane, he completed some basic maneuvers without incident and returned to the airport. Shortly after, he and a passenger boarded for a local flight. The pilot completed an engine run up with no anomalies noted, and then departed from the grass runway. About 70 ft above ground level he felt a vibration and was unable to maintain altitude. The engine RPM and oil pressure decreased as the airspeed slowed. The airplane collided with trees and then impacted the ground. The pilot and passenger egressed without incident, then the airplane burst into flames. The passenger recorded a video of the entire accident flight. The video revealed that during the initial climb, the engine RPM and sound appeared to gradually decrease. The airplane did not continue to climb, and the engine RPM continued to decrease. The airplane collided with a tree and then impacted the ground. A postaccident photo from the pilot showed the airplane was mostly consumed by the fire. The pilot provided a summary of his postaccident engine examination, which revealed that the oil supply line to the propeller speed reduction unit was completely clogged with an unknown gray material. Also, the gear reduction drive was seized, lacked oil, and the bearings were covered in a dry, rusty powder. It is likely that the loss of engine power was due to oil starvation of the propeller speed reduction unit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.