Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vienna, Maryland 21869
Sunday, August 11, 2013 18:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot reported that, after maneuvering the experimental amateur-built Rans S-12 airplane in flight for several minutes, he banked the airplane right, applied engine power, and increased the airplane’s pitch attitude but that “something didn’t feel right.” The student pilot responded by applying more power; however, the airplane started to descend. He turned the airplane’s nose into the wind, applied full power to the engine, and continued to increase the pitch attitude, but the airplane still would not climb. The student pilot then reduced the engine power to idle while continuing to bank right, and the airplane subsequently impacted the water. An examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. According to federal guidance, the Rans S-12 falls under the low-inertia and/or high-drag category, which makes the airplane susceptible to unintentional stalls. When the student pilot banked the airplane right and applied engine power, the airplane likely entered a stall due to the airplane’s low-inertia and/or high-drag tendencies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot’s inadequate control of the airplane, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with water.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/11/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Vienna |
| Event State | MARYLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 21869 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 381802N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0760016W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1759 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CGE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 20 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.03 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KCGE 112159Z AUTO 13005KT 10SM SCT060 27/19 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32875 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Law Enforcement |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 12 2014 11:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N557BB |
| NTSB Number | ERA13LA361 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BRYANT FREDERICK M |
| Aircraft Model | RANS S-12 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 11960760 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 975 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Daniel Martinek |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Vienna |
| Aircraft Owner State | MD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 21613-3465 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Daniel Martinek |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Vienna |
| Operator State | MD |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 21613-3465 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Vienna |
| Departure State | MD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1750 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Vienna |
| Destination State | MD |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 12 2014 11:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |