Amateur-built Rans S-12 accident near Festus, Missouri, December 8, 2011
On December 8, 2011 at about 10:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Rans S-12, registered N7138K, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Festus, Missouri (Festus Memorial Airport). It was an instructional 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
The certified flight instructor’s delayed remedial action as the airplane neared an aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was that the student pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around attempt.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2011 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Festus, Missouri · Festus Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Rans S-12
- Registration
- N7138K · registry record · serial 1094523
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was receiving flight instruction toward a sport-pilot license. Neither the student pilot nor his instructor had flown the airplane before the accident flight. The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the airplane was too high on final approach in order to land on the first third of the runway and that he told the student pilot to perform a go-around while the airplane was about 50 feet above the runway. The student pilot applied maximum engine power, and the airplane entered a steep left climbing turn. The student pilot overcorrected and the airplane subsequently entered a steep right turn. The CFI reported that the airplane was approaching an imminent aerodynamic stall/spin when he assumed control. The airplane collided with trees during the subsequent stall/spin recovery. The CFI stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. He said that the accident could have been prevented had he assumed direct control of the airplane sooner instead of providing verbal corrective actions to the student pilot.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during approach (VFR go-around)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR go-around)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 304 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 8, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFES Festus MO at 10:15 pm
- Destination: KFES Festus MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,202 ft by 49 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KCPS, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N7138K 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN12LA102.