Rans S-14 AIRAILE accident near Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, August 24, 1994
On August 24, 1994, a Rans S-14 AIRAILE, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to perform a preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1994
- Place
- Phoenixville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans S-14 AIRAILE S-14 AIRAI, amateur-built · all S-14 AIRAILEs on the register
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 0892036
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP HEADING WEST. DURING THE CLIMB HE MADE A 90 DEGREE TURN NORTHBOUND. THE ENGINE STOPPED SUDDENLY, AND THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO TURN RIGHT TO THE SOUTH. THE AIRPLANE CROSSED OVER THE RUNWAY, AND THEN MADE A LEFT 180 TO 270 DEGREE TURN. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE AFT CARBURETOR FUEL BOWL CONTAINED WATER. AN ENGINE TEST RUN WAS PERFORMED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE FAA. THE FAA STATED THAT THE ENGINE RAN SMOOTHLY. A WITNESS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE PILOT PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, AND STATED 'NO PREFLIGHT INSPECTION DONE.' THE STUDENT PILOT'S TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED.
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: student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 775 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: N10 Collegeville PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Observation at 11:50 pm from IPT, 93 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 BFO94LA147.