Amateur-built RANS S6S accident near Oldtown, Maryland, November 27, 2015
On November 27, 2015 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built RANS S6S, registered N531VS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Oldtown, Maryland. 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
The pilot's failure to visually inspect the fuel level during the preflight inspection, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent off-field landing and impacted terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2015 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oldtown, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S6S, built 2007
- Registration
- N531VS · no longer on the register · serial 01071795
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had filled the airplane's fuel tanks the day before the cross-country flight, but did not visually check the fuel level in the tanks during the preflight inspection. The pilot reported that he estimated the flight would take about 1.5 hours, and full fuel tanks would have given him more than 3 hours of flight time. The pilot reported that he was 10 miles from his destination when the engine sputtered and lost power and he made an off-airport landing. The pilot reported that he saw trees in front of him and attempted a left turn to avoid the trees and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that prior to the loss of engine power, there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that he estimated about a gallon of fuel was drained from the wing fuel tanks after the accident and the unusable fuel for the airplane is 1.25 gallons.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 221 hours in all; 212 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 158 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 7, 2015
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 664.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 15, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,230 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 664 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W42 Fallston MD at 4:30 pm
- Destination: KCBE Cumberland MD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 6:07 pm from KCBE, 7 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 8, 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 | Record of Conversation (Pilot in Command) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.