Amateur-built Rans S-14 accident near Berlin, Illinois, July 7, 2006
On July 7, 2006 at about 2:00 am local time, a amateur-built Rans S-14, registered N43293, was destroyed in an accident near Berlin, Illinois. 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2006 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Berlin, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Rans S-14
- Registration
- N43293 · no longer on the register · serial 0997099
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a corn field under unknown circumstances. The pilot was reported missing on the evening of the flight, and the wreckage was located the following morning. The exact time of the accident was not determined. The pilot did not hold either a pilot certificate, or an airman medical certificate. No evidence of a failure of the airframe, flight control system, or engine during the accident flight was found. Visual weather conditions were present on the evening of the accident flight. The pilot's wife reported that he had previous problems with the engine's carburetor, but she believed the problems had been corrected prior to the accident flight.
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
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Berlin IL
- Destination: Berlin IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from SPI, 14 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.
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.