Amateur-built Rans S-6S accident near Laurel, Montana, May 28, 2005
On May 28, 2005 at about 7:35 pm local time, a amateur-built Rans S-6S, registered N133DJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Laurel, Montana (Laurel Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate remedial action which resulted in a stall/spin during final approach to land. A contributing factor was the student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2005 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Laurel, Montana · Laurel Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Rans S-6S
- Registration
- N133DJ · no longer on the register · serial 06041578
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, the student pilot was at the controls and they were making an approach to runway 04. On final approach, the instructor noted that the airplane was "starting to get too low and slow." He told the student to add power twice and then told the student to go around. The instructor reported that "full throttle is added, nose pitches up abruptly and steeply. Left wing stalls." The instructor took the controls, momentarily regained control, but then stalled the airplane a second time while attempting to clear terrain. The student pilot reported, "I let my airspeed get too slow and corrective measures did not prevail."
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,178 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Laurel MT at 7:20 pm
- Destination: 6S8 Laurel MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.