Rans S-12 XL
PELION, SC — May 4, 2008
Event Information
| Date | May 4, 2008 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CHI08LA125 |
| Event ID | 20080616X00866 |
| Location | PELION, SC |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 33.77932, -81.24079 |
| Airport | Lexington County Airport |
| Highest Injury | SERS |
Aircraft
| Make | Rans |
| Model | S-12 XL |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 1 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
A loss of engine power due to the improper actions of the instructor pilot and the low experience level of the instructor pilot in this make and model of aircraft.
Full Narrative
On May 4, 2008, at 1400 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Airaile, S-12 XL; N9148Y, crashed during a forced landing after losing power while turning to base leg for runway 35 at the Lexington County Airport, in Pelion, South Carolina. The instructor pilot in the right seat reported serious injuries and no injuries to the student pilot in the left seat. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight had departed about 5 minutes prior to the accident.
The right seat instructor pilot reported in the recommendations section of the pilot report that you should never reduce the power on a two-stroke engine. The right seat instructor also said that the left seat student pilot, who had all the time in the airplane, should have instructed him not to do the power reduction. Post accident inspection of the engine did not disclose any pre-accident anomalies with the engine. A Federal Aviation Inspector reported that the rear cylinder of this model engine will seize if the engine is throttled back in flight.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.