Amateur-built RANS S-6 accident near Nokesville, Virginia, July 20, 1992
On July 20, 1992 at about 9:45 pm local time, a amateur-built RANS S-6, registered N116LP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nokesville, Virginia. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER PLANNING OR DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS AFTER INADVERTENTLY BECOMING AIRBORNE. THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1992 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Nokesville, Virginia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S-6
- Registration
- N116LP · registry record · serial 0492287
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER CONSTRUCTION OF A HOME BUILT RANS S 6 WAS COMPLETED, THE PILOT (OWNER, BUILDER) ELECTED TO PRACTICE TAXIING AROUND THE 1300 FT GRASS STRIP. AFTER A SERIES OF TAXI TESTS, IN WHICH THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE AND WAS LANDED, HE ALLOWED HIS WIFE ABOARD, INTENDING ONLY TO TAXI THE PLANE. ACCORDING TO HIM, AS HE BECAME MORE COMFORTABLE IN THE AIRPLANE, HE INCREASED THE TAXI SPEED TO ABOUT 40 MPH, AND THE AIRPLANE INADVERTENTLY LIFTED OFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRSTRIP TO STOP, SO HE ELECTED TO REMAIN AIRBORNE, CIRCLE THE FIELD, AND LAND. HE CLEARED TREES AT THE END OF THE STRIP AND TURNED CROSSWIND AT ABOUT 75 FT AGL. HE INDICATED HE TURNED DOWNWIND AT 70 MPH. ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS AT FULL THROTTLE, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE. THE PILOT NOTICED POWERLINES AHEAD AND PULLED UP WHILE USING FULL FLAPS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE HIT A TREE AT AN AIRSPEED OF ABOUT 40 MPH AND CRASHED. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION, BUT SAID THERE WAS TURBULENCE. THE CALCULATED DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 2500 FT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 125 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 960 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO92LA106.