Amateur-built RANS S 12XL accident near Guanica, Puerto Rico, December 19, 2015
On December 19, 2015 at about 3:20 pm local time, a 2009 amateur-built RANS S 12XL, registered N124LP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Guanica, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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/owner's failure to maintain the engine in accordance with manufacturer guidance, which resulted in the undetected corrosion of the power takeoff bearing, subsequent bearing failure, and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 2015 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Guanica, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S 12XL NO SERIES, built 2009
- Registration
- N124LP · registry record · serial 06061007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot was conducting a cross-country flight in the light sport airplane when, after about one hour of flight, the engine first experienced a partial loss of power, followed shortly thereafter by a total loss of power. The pilot twice unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine using the emergency checklist before performing a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The engine was manufactured about 10 years before the accident and maintenance logs indicated that it had not been overhauled since that time. Examination of the engine revealed that connecting rod bearing material was distributed throughout the power take off (PTO) section of the engine. Furthermore, corrosion was noted on the PTO connecting rod and connecting rod bearing. Although the engine had not yet reached the manufacturer's recommended 300 flight hour time limit for overhaul, it had exceeded the recommended 5-year calendar time limit for overhaul by 5 years. It is likely that a piece of the failed bearing became lodged in the rotary valve disc, which prevented the disc from rotating, and subsequently blocked the air and fuel to the engine, which resulted in a total loss of engine power. Had the engine been overhauled, the corrosion likely would have been discovered and the inflight loss of power prevented.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 88 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 57 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 4, 2015
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 213 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 2015; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 975 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 213 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X63 Humacao PR at 2:15 pm
- Destination: MAZ Mayaguez PR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:45 pm from TJMZ, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 ERA16LA076.