Rans Employee Flying Club RANS S-6S accident near Montezuma, Indiana, July 31, 2009
On July 31, 2009 at about 4:06 pm local time, a Rans Employee Flying Club RANS S-6S, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N91226, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Montezuma, Indiana (Garrard Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after takeoff resulting in an impact with a power line and the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2009 · about 4:06 pm local time
- Place
- Montezuma, Indiana · Garrard Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans Employee Flying Club RANS S-6S, amateur-built · all RANS S-6Ss on the register
- Registration
- N91226 · no longer on the register · serial 08001385
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a local flight from his private airstrip. The pilot stated that he felt a gust of wind from the west and was not able to maintain control of the airplane. He stated that he did not anticipate the wind directional change as the wind sock was "down" when he took off. The airplane’s left wing impacted a powerline and the airplane impacted terrain. A ground fire occurred.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during initial climb
- Collision during takeoff/land during initial climb defining event
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Response/compensation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 357 hours in all; 136 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 12, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 136 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2009
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier 912 SUL (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 9IN6 Montezuma IN at 4:06 pm
- Destination: 9IN6 Montezuma IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 4:04 pm from PRG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 CEN09CA498.