Rans Company S-11 PURSUIT accident near Hays, Kansas, January 19, 1991
On January 19, 1991 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Rans Company S-11 PURSUIT, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N2164K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hays, Kansas (Hays Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY A SEIZED PISTON. A FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT IS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE DURING HIS FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1991 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hays, Kansas · Hays Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans Company S-11 PURSUIT S-11 PURSU, amateur-built
- Registration
- N2164K · registry record · serial 1089002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE LANDED HARD AFTER AN ENGINE FAILURE AT ALTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE CAUGHT FIRE AFTER IMPACT. ENGINE DISASSEMBLY REVEALED A SEIZED PISTON IN NUMBER 1 CYLINDER.
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
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 16, 1991; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 809 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 6,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from HYS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 CHI91DCQ03.