Amateur-built Rans S-12XL accident near Laramie, Wyoming, January 6, 2003
On January 6, 2003 at about 10:48 pm local time, a amateur-built Rans S-12XL, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Laramie, Wyoming. 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 aircraft control, resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush. Contributing factors include the pilot's use of an over-the-counter antihistamine, and the pilot's inadequate in-flight decision to fly at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 2003 · about 10:48 pm local time
- Place
- Laramie, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Rans S-12XL
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The ultra light was observed flying over a city park at a very low altitude and very slow. Several witnesses in the park reported that the pilot waved at them and was smiling. One witness said the aircraft's wings rocked several times, its nose pointed at the ground, it rotated to the right, and it crashed. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies were identified that might have affected the airplane's performance. Toxicological analysis on two different specimens of the pilot's blood performed at two different locations indicated two substantially different levels of ethanol. No other specimens were tested for ethanol. The pilot's autopsy was conducted 3 days following the accident, and it is not possible to determine conclusively whether the ethanol reported is from ingestion or post-mortem production. A half-full bottle of alcohol was found in the pilot's vehicle. Toxicology examination also revealed high levels of diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects, often known by the trade name Benadryl. The pilot had been prescribed a low dose of Effexor (venlafaxine), a prescription antidepressant medication.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 241 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 27, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 432 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 920 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAR Laramie WY at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from LAR, 3 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.
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.