Two Fatally Injured When The Plane Went Down Shortly After Takeoff

The NTSB has released a preliminary report from an accident which occurred April 21 which fatally injured the two people on board the airplane.

According to the report, the Rans S-7S impacted the ground after takeoff from Shirley Williams Airport (44TE), Kingsland, Texas. The pilot and pilot-rated-passenger were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed by a postimpact fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The local flight personal was departing at the time of the accident.

An examination of the accident site revealed a small initial impact point in the ground about 20 ft south of the main wreckage. The impact point was defined by a divot in the ground which contained a broken red lens, the pitot tube, and a piece of left wing tip. Another impact area was about 6 ft south of the main wreckage, which was about 3 ft in diameter and about 4 inches deep. The small crater contained white paint chips, plexiglass, a propeller blade, and the engine oil filter.

Another small divot was observed under the outboard leading edge of the right wing. The three impact areas were in a relatively straight line in a north-south orientation. The airplane came to rest upright facing southwest.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.

(Image provided with the NTSB report)

FMI: Report