Amateur-built RANS S-12 XL accident near Hays, Kansas, March 27, 1997
On March 27, 1997, a amateur-built RANS S-12 XL, registered N102EY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hays, Kansas (Hays Municipal airport). It was a personal 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 pilot improperly flared the airplane and the pilot's lack of experience in the type of airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1997
- Place
- Hays, Kansas · Hays Municipal · 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 XL RANS S-12
- Registration
- N102EY · registry record · serial 05960728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner of the experimental airplane reported that he had recently completed building the airplane. The pilot had three hours of flight time in the airplane. The pilot/owner reported that he was practicing a no-flap landing. He crossed the runway threshhold at 55 miles per hour, but with a 'fast sink rate.' He added power and flared, but landed hard. The airplane skidded off the runway and hit a runway sign.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 750 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 27, 1997; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HYS at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,301 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 CHI97LA128.