Rans S-14 accident near Kewanee, Illinois, November 29, 2014
On November 29, 2014 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Rans S-14, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Kewanee, Illinois (Kewanne Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during the final approach, which resulted in a stall/mush. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to obtain training in the pusher-type airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2014 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kewanee, Illinois · Kewanne Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans S-14, amateur-built · all S-14s on the register
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial Unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had recently obtained the pusher-type airplane and that the accident flight was the first time he had flown it or any pusher-type airplane. He performed numerous taxi tests over a 3-hour period and then decided to take off and fly around the traffic pattern. On the first approach to landing, the airplane was too high, so he performed a go-around. The pilot reported that, during the next approach, as the airplane was about 100 ft above ground level and positioned to land, he reduced the engine power, and the airplane just "fell out of the sky." He reported that the engine was running normally when he reduced the power for landing. The airplane impacted the ground in a nearly flat attitude, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 29, 2012
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 390 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EZI Kewanne IL at 6:00 pm
- Destination: EZI Kewanne IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.57 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from MLI, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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
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.