Rans, Inc. S-6 accident near Wyatte, Mississippi, October 28, 2001
On October 28, 2001 at about 11:11 pm local time, a Rans, Inc. S-6, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N1173R, was destroyed in an accident near Wyatte, Mississippi (Wyatte (Pvt) airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin, and subsequent impact with trees, while at a low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2001 · about 11:11 pm local time
- Place
- Wyatte, Mississippi · Wyatte (Pvt) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans, Inc. S-6, amateur-built
- Registration
- N1173R · no longer on the register · serial 06951000
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses stated the aircraft was in level flight at a low altitude, and they heard the engine sputtering. The airplane turned left, flew over a tree line, nosed up, started a slow spiral, and spun nose low into the ground. Clean fuel was drained from the right wing. The engine was disassembled and reveal no discrepancies.
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: 380 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wyatte, MS at 10:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.47 inHg
- Observation at 11:20 pm from OLV, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.