Amateur-built RANS S12-XL accident near Gordon, Alabama, November 10, 2012
On November 10, 2012 at about 2:43 pm local time, a amateur-built RANS S12-XL, registered N933CW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Gordon, Alabama. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fatigue failure of the elevator pitch trim cable, which resulted in aerodynamic flutter of the elevator in flight and the airplane’s subsequent nose-over during the resultant precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2012 · about 2:43 pm local time
- Place
- Gordon, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S12-XL
- Registration
- N933CW · registry record · serial 03030963
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the pilot leveled the airplane after departure and accelerated to cruise airspeed, the airplane's elevator suddenly began to flutter violently, shaking the airplane. The pilot reduced airspeed in an attempt to stop the elevator from fluttering, but the elevator continued to flutter. As a result of the flutter, the control column was moving rapidly forward and aft about 6 inches, which would correspond to an elevator up and down movement of about 20 degrees. The pilot decided to make an emergency landing in a cow pasture because he was worried about a structural failure. Upon touchdown on the cow pasture, the nosewheel dropped into a hole, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination revealed that the fuselage was substantially damaged, and the trim push wire that actuated the elevator trim tab was fractured. Examination of the trim push wire revealed that it had been secured to the trim tab by a wire swivel/screw stop that was attached to the trim horn. Further examination revealed that the trim push wire was bent and had fractured just forward of the wire swivel/screw stop. The fracture face displayed corrosion and striations consistent with fatigue. Examination of the trim horn on which the wire swivel/screw stop was mounted also revealed wear, scratching, and gouging. The observed damage was consistent with the wire swivel/screw stop binding during operation and being unable to rotate under load. Airplane manufacturer personnel indicated that they observed a similar failure when spectators at an airshow leaned against a trim tab on an airplane that was on display, bending the trim push wire, which subsequently failed in 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
What happened, in order
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator tab control system › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 222 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 8, 2012
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 222 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 3, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gordon AL at 2:43 pm
- Destination: Ashford AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from DHN, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.