Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sanderson, Florida 32087
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 9:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument-rated pilot departed on a visual flight rules flight without obtaining a weather briefing. Review of Doppler radar obtained from the National Weather Service depicted two bands of thunderstorms over northern Florida, the first running east-to-west and the other running northeast-to-southwest along central and western Florida. Recorded radar data showed the accident airplane's flight track approaching the band of thunderstorms, turning northeast and parallel to the weather, and then passing between the two weather areas. The flight track then turns back northwestward and penetrates the area of thunderstorms. A witness stated that the clouds in the vicinity of the crash site were overcast about 200 feet with light rain and distant thunder. Examination of the airplane revealed the vertical stabilizer and rudders separated and were not located. Examination of a tail cone section revealed fracture surfaces on the front and rear spar, and the rear doubler assembly exhibited slant-fracture features consistent with ductile overload due to exceeding the design limits. There was no evidence of preexisting damage due to fatigue or corrosion.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions with convective activity and thunderstorms. Contributing to the accident was his failure to get an adequate weather briefing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/8/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 905 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sanderson |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32087 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 301046N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0821925W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| 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 | 855 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VQQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| 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) | 29.9 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26162 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 12 2010 11:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | gamw |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N774US |
| NTSB Number | ERA09LA392 |
| 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 | NOLES VANCE L |
| Aircraft Model | VANS RV7A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 72389 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NOLES VANCE L |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3511 20TH AVENUE DR W |
| Aircraft Owner City | BRADENTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34205-2109 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | NOLES VANCE L |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3511 20TH AVENUE DR W |
| Operator City | BRADENTON |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 34205-2109 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FD77 |
| Departure City | Wimauma |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 803 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MMI |
| Destination City | Athens |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2009 10:23AM |
| 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 | -- |