Stall / Spin · NTSB WPR10LA293
RANS COYOTE II S6 — Lincoln, CA
| Date | June 15, 2010 |
| Location | Lincoln, CA |
| Aircraft | RANS COYOTE II S6 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Dusk · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering Aerodynamic stall/spin |
| Pilot age | 44 |
| Pilot total time | 378 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft structures-Doors-Passenger/crew doors-Not used/operated - F
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
What happened
The pilot removed the doors of his two-seat, 65-horsepower airplane the day before the accident and flew it successfully. The aircraft documentation noted that with the doors removed the airplane’s climb and cruise performance would be reduced. On the day of the accident, the pilot had a passenger with him and the doors of the airplane were still off. A witness reported that the airplane was returning to the airport at 500 feet and made a downwind entry for the runway. There was one airplane in the traffic pattern ahead of the accident airplane. The accident airplane then entered a 35- to 40-degree angle-of-bank left-hand turn, presumably to increase the spacing between aircraft. After the airplane had completed about 180 degrees of turn, it appeared to be traveling slower than normal; the left wing dipped and the airplane entered a descending spiral. The airplane rotated 360 degrees while descending vertically and impacted terrain. During a postaccident examination of the airplane, flight control continuity was confirmed and no preimpact mechanical anomalies were noted.