Rans S91 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, November 22, 1997
On November 22, 1997 at about 6:02 pm local time, a Rans S91, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N9291T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin during the forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 1997 · about 6:02 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans S91, amateur-built
- Registration
- N9291T · no longer on the register · serial 0695139
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft was on its initial test flight following construction and certification. Following takeoff, the pilot flew for nearly an hour while exploring the handling qualities of the aircraft. After returning to the airport, the pilot made a pass over the airstrip to check controllability in the landing configuration. In his statement he reported that in initiating the missed approach he 'applied full power and pulled to 55 IAS and 2.5G's at 300 feet agl . . .(then) I pushed over and reduced to 5000 rpm.' At this point, the pilot noticed a loss of rpm, followed 5 seconds later by a complete loss of engine power. He turned toward a landing site, and at 10 feet agl started to flare for touchdown. The pilot stated that the airplane was not flying and he had no control of the aircraft. The aircraft touched down hard on a dirt road. The pilot reported that the engine was free to rotate, with no evidence of internal failure. He believes the loss of power was due to a fuel system vent blockage.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 441 hours in all; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 348 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 1997; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 670 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503SC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from SDL, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N9291T 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.