Rans S12 accident near Orleans, Indiana, July 1, 2019
On July 1, 2019, a 2012 Rans S12, registered N1094K, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Orleans, Indiana (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering toward the runway, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2019
- Place
- Orleans, Indiana · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans S12, built 2012 · all S12s on the register
- Registration
- N1094K · no longer on the register · serial 10942012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student sport pilot was conducting a local solo flight near his private airstrip in calm wind conditions, and had performed two or three landings before the accident flight. A camera located near the airstrip captured a segment of the accident flight, during which the airplane could be seen spiraling downward and impacting the runway, followed by a postimpact fire. A witness reported that he heard the accident airplane fly over on the night of the accident. He heard the engine "die," but stated that it subsequently restarted, and the airplane proceeded directly toward the runway. The witness subsequently heard the sound of the impact and saw the fire. The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down attitude. No preimpact structural or flight control continuity were detected during a postaccident examination. Thermal damage precluded a thorough examination of the propeller and engine. A Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular (AC 90-109A) classified the airplane as a low-inertia, high-drag airplane. These airplanes are particularly susceptible to unintentional aerodynamic stalls due to their low cruise speed to stall speed margin and their tendency to experience significant airspeed decay with increased load factor (such as during a turn). Based on the available information, it is likely that while maneuvering toward the runway following the loss of and restoration of engine power, the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Although medical records indicated that the pilot had been treated for an unspecified anxiety disorder for many years, whether effects from the disorder or its treatment contributed to the accident could not be determined given the available evidence.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Flight time: 21.3 hours in all; 19.2 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 975 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: I42 Paoli IN
- Destination: I42 Paoli IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on October 16, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miscellaneous Information - Pilot Records | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Communication Summary -- D Holmes --- Ind Fsdo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Summary of A Witness's Conversation with an Eyewitness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Communication Summary -- Flight Instructor K Smith | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record A�� Communication Summary -- D Heinemann | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Maps or Charts of Accident Area | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photos | PDF, 19 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports - Chief Medical Officer -- Summary of Findings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report - Cami 201900142001 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N1094K 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.