Mccleery RANS S6ES accident near Elverta, California, September 25, 2012
On September 25, 2012 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Mccleery RANS S6ES, registered N623LB, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Elverta, California. It was a personal 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
A loss of engine power during initial climb due to a failed piston ring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 2012 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Elverta, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mccleery RANS S6ES
- Registration
- N623LB · no longer on the register · serial 07011418ES
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff for his practical test for a sport pilot certificate, when the airplane was about 100 ft above ground level, the engine lost power. He then began an emergency descent to a nearby field. During the landing, the airplane collided with a dirt berm and subsequently nosed over. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed damage to both the forward and aft cylinder assemblies. The aft cylinder assembly's top piston ring was missing, and damage was noted to the associated ring land groove and piston. The lower piston ring was in place; however, the piston ring was distorted and jammed in its corresponding ring land groove. Mechanical-type damage was noted on the internal cylinder domes and piston faces of both the forward and aft cylinder assemblies, and the damage was consistent with pieces of the broken piston ring contacting the cylinder domes. The reason for the piston ring failure could not be determined. Postaccident review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed multiple entries outlining repairs to both the forward and aft cylinder assemblies; most of the repairs were associated with piston ring anomalies. One maintenance log entry indicated that the both the forward and aft cylinder assemblies' piston rings were replaced and that the cylinders were resurfaced due to "overheat damage."
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 initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 155 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 123 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 5, 2012
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,500 hours in all; 165 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 10,625 as pilot in command; 1,625 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 21, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 594 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 2011; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,030 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NA Elverta CA at 4:15 pm
- Destination: NA Elverta CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N623LB 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.