Amateur-built RANS S-9 accident near Chandler, Arizona, October 6, 1995
On October 6, 1995 at about 4:51 pm local time, a amateur-built RANS S-9, registered N5052E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chandler, Arizona. 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
seizure of the #2 cylinder for undetermined reasons. The lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 1995 · about 4:51 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · 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-9
- Registration
- N5052E · no longer on the register · serial 1087022
- 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 while in cruise the engine suddenly stopped. He selected a road on which to land; however, vehicle traffic prevented its use and he was forced to land in a cotton field. The aircraft collided with high vegetation and plowed furrows during the landing roll, substantially damaging the airframe structure. Disassembly of the Rotax 503 two-stroke engine revealed that the #2 cylinder had seized. The reason for the seizure 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 399 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 139 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 3, 1995; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 670 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGZ Casa Grande AZ at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N5052E 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.