History of Flight
On May 3, 2020, at 1110 mountain daylight time, a Rans S-12 airplane, registration N427LB, was destroyed in an accident near Delta, Colorado. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight.
A witness who spoke with the pilot before the accident reported that the pilot mentioned stability issues with the airplane and had been performing high-speed taxi tests to adjust for them. The witness believed the pilot intended only to conduct another set of high-speed taxi tests on the day of the accident and did not plan to fly. According to the witness, the pilot appeared to be caught off guard as the airplane became airborne.
Another witness at Blake Field Airport (AJZ) in Delta observed the airplane take off from runway 14 and initially appeared under control. The airplane flew a left downwind leg for runway 21 at an altitude of about 300–400 feet above ground level in straight, level, and stable flight. After passing the approach end of runway 32, the airplane pitched down, banked sharply right, and the engine throttled back. The witness could not determine whether the engine throttled back before the pitch change or in response to it, but noted a loss of control leading to a stall.
A separate witness at the airport reported hearing the engine cycle repeatedly from full power to reduced power and back to full power. When the airplane came into view, the witness thought the wings were rocking. The airplane then banked right, descended very low, and pitched aggressively. Approximately 3–4 seconds later, it impacted the ground.
Aircraft Information
According to the airplane owner, the pilot had been restoring the airplane since purchasing it in June 2018. The owner spoke with the pilot the day before the accident, and the pilot reported being close to making the airplane flyable. The owner asked the pilot to call if he planned to fly so he could observe, but the pilot did not contact him.
No weight and balance information was found in the airplane records, and such information was not provided to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was located approximately 220 feet from the approach end of runway 32, with the airplane resting upright. The wings and empennage, along with attached control surfaces, remained intact with the fuselage. The wing flaps were retracted. Both wings and the fuselage sustained structural damage.
Postaccident examination confirmed flight control continuity from the cockpit controls to all control surfaces. The horizontal stabilizer’s angle of incidence was positioned and secured at the lowest bolt hole along the leading-edge root of the vertical stabilizer.
In the passenger seat area, three bags containing shot were found, weighing approximately 24.4 pounds, 25.2 pounds, and 25.2 pounds respectively. A fourth shot bag was ruptured and estimated to be of similar weight. Additionally, one dumbbell weight marked 35 pounds was found in the passenger seat area. A second dumbbell weight was recovered by recovery personnel from an unknown location in the airplane.