Amateur-built RANS S-9 accident near Mckinney, Texas, July 20, 1997
On July 20, 1997, a amateur-built RANS S-9, registered N1678N, was destroyed in an accident near Mckinney, Texas (Aero Country Airpark airport). 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
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s), and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in a stall and collision with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1997
- Place
- Mckinney, Texas · Aero Country Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S-9
- Registration
- N1678N · no longer on the register · serial 0193117
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a homebuilt airplane lost control of the airplane while attempting to sequence his airplane to land behind a departing ultralight vehicle following a loss of engine power. The airplane completed a high speed low pass over runway 17 followed by a 'sharp pull up' with a pronounced nose high attitude. Witnesses reported hearing the engine lose power and observing that the propeller had stopped. Another witness observed that an ultralight vehicle was on takeoff roll as the Rans was gliding northbound 'as if he was trying to sequence himself behind the ultralight on the runway.' Witnesses were 'expecting a downwind landing' to either the taxiway, or the grassy area east of the runway, but instead, the airplane continued gliding northbound on a close left downwind. As soon as the ultralight was past him, 'the Rans appeared to try to turn to get into the wind by making a 180 degree left turn in behind the ultralight;' however, 'he was so close to the runway that he had to make a very tight [steep] turn.' The airplane 'rotated 1/4 to 3/8 of a complete spin' prior to impacting the ground in a near vertical attitude. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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: student
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 59 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 130 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 27, 1996; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 710 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier ROTAX 670 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TX05
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,950 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:48 pm from TKI, 10 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.
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.