Rans S-7 accident near Gerlach, Nevada, October 21, 2015
On October 21, 2015 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 2015 Rans S-7, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N272X, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Gerlach, Nevada. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch and airspeed control, in conjunction with full flaps, while maneuvering at a low altitude, resulting in a tail-stall and subsequent impact with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2015 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gerlach, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans S-7 S, built 2015, amateur-built
- Registration
- N272X · registry record · serial 1213601
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while flying in a high desert valley, he intended to perform a low pass over a remote airstrip to assess its suitability for landing in the future. The pilot reported that prior to the pass, he slowed the airplane and added full flaps. He said that in this airplane configuration, following a left turn, the "flight controls in pitch became loose as if the tail stalled," and right afterward "the nose pitched down." He reported that he added power, and that his sensation was "that the plane was flying but being pushed to the ground with no feedback from the elevator." The pilot reported that as he approached the ground, he applied back pressure but the airplane impacted the ground hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior, to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation. It is likely that the airplane's configuration in conjunction with the reduced airspeed induced a tail stall pitching the nose down, due to the absence of tail-down force.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,678.5 hours in all; 285.7 in this make and model; 37.5 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,678.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 25, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 274 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 914 (piston); 220 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UT99 Fairfield UT at 1:00 pm
- Destination: H37 Herlong NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 6:10 pm from RTS, 41 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 5, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N272X 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.