Rans 7 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, September 9, 1996
On September 9, 1996 at about 5:04 am local time, a Rans 7, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N4012H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain control of the aircraft. A factor relatated to the accident was: the pilot's improper decision to continue the flight after he identified he was having difficulty landing the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 1996 · about 5:04 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans 7, amateur-built
- Registration
- N4012H · no longer on the register · serial 13
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the flight instructor (CFI) to become familiar with the homebuilt experimental airplane and to then teach the student pilot/owner, who was also aboard the airplane. According to the CFI, he was having continuing difficulty landing the airplane at the practice, gravel airstrip, and thought about leaving the airplane there and retrieving it later. He elected to fly the airplane to Merrill Field, in Anchorage, because it was getting dark and he wanted to get the airplane to its home base. He also noted that he assumed the paved runway at Merrill would be more difficult to land on. While landing at Merrill Field, the airplane bounced two or three times, and went off the right side of runway 24. The CFI attempted to abort the landing, but was unable to keep the airplane from striking airplanes parked on the ramp. The CFI said there was no preimpact mechanical difficulties with airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 515 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 458 as pilot in command; 107 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 46 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 9, 1996; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 532 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wasilla AK
- Destination: MRI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,999 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 135 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from MRI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N4012H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.