Rans S6 accident near Bridgeport, California, July 1, 2016
On July 1, 2016 at about 4:20 pm local time, a 1994 Rans S6, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N2181K, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Bridgeport, California (Bryant Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering and his improper decision to maneuver low over a home, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at too low of an altitude to recover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2016 · about 4:20 pm local time · cases in 2016
- Place
- Bridgeport, California · Bryant Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans S6 ES, built 1994, amateur-built · all S6s on the register
- Registration
- N2181K · no longer on the register · serial 0793519
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, as he was nearing his destination and the end of a cross-country, personal flight, he flew over his parents' home. The pilot stated that, after passing over the home, he made a sharp right turn and that the airplane then stalled with insufficient altitude to recover and descended to the ground. Examination of the accident site revealed impact marks consistent with the airplane colliding with terrain in a nose-down attitude. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack while making the sharp right turn, which led to an aerodynamic stall at too low of an altitude to recover.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 930 hours in all; 175 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 917 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (piston); 917 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUN Auburn CA at 3:10 pm
- Destination: O57 Bridgeport CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from KBAN, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 23, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Field Notes | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Photo Array - Accident Site | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2181K: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Rans S-6 22 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Rans 91 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) · as the NTSB recorded it
- Bryant Field · nearest airport
- Auburn Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,069 since 1982 · 1,087 in the last ten years
- California 27,686 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR16LA136.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.