Rans, Inc. S12XL accident near Wauchula, Florida, March 21, 2008
On March 21, 2008 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Rans, Inc. S12XL, registered N166LS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wauchula, Florida (Wachula Municipal Airport). 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
The malfunction of the fuel line, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2008 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wauchula, Florida · Wachula Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans, Inc. S12XL
- Registration
- N166LS · registry record · serial 02020942
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built Rans S12XL's engine lost power while making an overhead approach to the destination airport. The pilot then performed an emergency landing in the grass to the west of the single runway, and during the landing roll the left main gear "went into a hole and collapsed." During the collapse, the structural tubing of the fuselage was damaged. Examination of the fuel system revealed that the fuel supply line to the fuel pump was cracked, resulting in fuel starvation to the engine.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 975 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X49 Mulberry FL
- Destination: CHN Wauchula FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,900 ft; scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from LAL, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.