Amateur-built RANS S-12 accident near Leesburg, Florida, September 6, 1993
On September 6, 1993 at about 7:45 pm local time, a amateur-built RANS S-12, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Leesburg, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED (VSO) WHILE MANEUVERING RESULTING IN A STALL/SPIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1993 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Leesburg, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S-12
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 4170949
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY A WITNESS AS IT TOOK OFF FROM A LAKE AND MADE A LEFT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE. A REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER WAS HEARD, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED MAKING ANOTHER LEFT TURN AT ABOUT 300 FEET AGL AS IF TURNING FROM BASE TO FINAL APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE SLOW AND WAS OBSERVED TO SHUDDER FROM LEFT TO RIGHT BEFORE GOING INTO A LEFT ROLL AND A SPIN. THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN.
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: 60 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 742 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582-C-3.1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from ORL, 33 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 UNREG 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.