Noles Vance L VANS RV7A N774US

Summary

On 8 July 2009 at about 13:05 local time, a Noles Vance L VANS RV7A registered N774US, operated by Noles Vance L, was involved in an accident near Sanderson, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2009 at 13:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Sanderson, Florida, United States

Coordinates

30.1794, -82.3236

Aircraft

Noles Vance L VANS RV7A

Registration

N774US

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Noles Vance L

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wimauma → Athens

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA392

1 person died.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.