# Accident 20160824014069A: Heberlein Ronald VAN'S RV-9A, Sebring, FL, August 24, 2016 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 24, 2016, 06:30 local time - Place: Sebring, FL - Airport: Sebring Regional Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.4861° N, 81.2833° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.4861&lon=-81.2833&mi=10 - Aircraft: N379RV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N379RV-2018-10-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Heberlein Ronald VAN'S RV-9A (registry code 05618LZ, https://openairdocs.org/model/heberlein-ronald-van-s-rv-9a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (registry code 41595, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-320-d2j) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HEBERLEIN RONALD VAN'S RV-9A - Reported engine: LYCOMING O-320-D2J - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 920 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA16FA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA297) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160824014069A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WRECKAGE AND GROUND SCARS INDICATE THE PLANE IMPACTED AT A MODERATE ANGLE WITH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE LOCAL TIME OF IMPACT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30 AM JUST BEFORE SUN UP. AIRPORT RAMP VIDEO SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING THE AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 6:23 AM. ACCIDENT SCENE IS ABOUT 4.25 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY ON THE NORTH EAST SIDE WITH A HEADING OF 58.93 DEGREES. AFTER IMPACT THE AIRPLANE MADE CONTACT WITH A FARM EQUIPMENT SHED. GROUND SCARES SHOW THE GEAR MADE CONTACT FIRST THEN THE ENGINE, BELLY, THEN WING LEADING EDGES. IT APPEARS THE RH WING TIP MAY HAVE MADE CONTACT BEFORE THE LH WING, INDICATING A SLIGHT RH TURN OR RH WING DIP AT IMPACT. GROUND SCARE OF THE FUSELAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES DEEP, FOUR FEET BY FIVE FEET IN WIDTH AND LENGTH. THIS INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WITH A MID TO LOW ANGLE OF ATTACK ATTITUDE AT IMPACT. NO OTHER GROUND SCARES ARE PRESENT. THIS INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT REBOUNDED AND THEN SOARED INTO THE EQUIPMENT SHED 51 FEET AWAY. THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE EAST WALL. THE EQUIPMENT SHED ROOF WAS STILL INTACT. THIS CONFIRMS A LOW ANGLE OF ATTACK ATTITUDE WITH HIGH SPEED AT IMPACT. APPROXIMATELY 33 FEET PAST THE SHED THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT THE BARB WIRE FENCE. THE ENGINE SEPARATED AND TRAVELED ANOTHER 67 FEET. THIS AGAIN INDICATES A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AT IMPACT. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS FANNED OUT SLIGHTLY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, THIS INDICATES A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AT IMPACT. DEBRIS FOUND INCLUDED MANY SMALL PIECES OF THE FOLLOWING: ENGINE TUBULAR FRAME, COMPOSITE AERODYNAMIC FAIRINGS, ENGINE FAIRINGS, AND SECTIONS OF THE LH & RH WINGS. THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE WAS FOUND ROLLED UP AT THE FINAL RESTING SPOT. THE LANDING GEAR, VERTICAL STAB, HORIZONTAL STAB AND LH & RH STUB WINGS WHERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE. THE COCKPIT INSTRUMENT PANEL AND ENGINE FIREWALL WERE FOUND IN MANY PIECES. FOUND AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE OIL FILTER WHICH HAS A RECORD OF THE HOUR METER READING OF 650.6 ON THE SIDEWALL. THE HOUR METER FOUND READS 691.1. THIS INDICATES THE LAST CONDITION INSPECTION/OIL CHANGE WAS ACCOMPLISHED 41 AIRFRAME HOURS AGO. THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND UNDER THE WRECKAGE. PROPELLERS CONDITION INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS MAKING POWER AT IMPACT. THROTTLE SETTING WAS FOUND AT A CRUISE POSITION. BOTH PROP BLADES SHOWS PAINT REMOVED FROM IMPACTING THE DIRT. ONE PROP BLADE WAS BENT AND TWISTED INDICATING POWER WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. INSPECTION OF THE LH & RH WING OUTBOARD SECTIONS INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL OF FUEL. THE LEADING EDGE WING SKINS THAT MAKE THE FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND FLAT WITH THE INTERNAL RIBS TORN APART, THIS INDICATES THE G FORCES AT IMPACT WHERE HIGH DUE TO THE FULL FUEL TANK. FULL FUEL WAS CONFIRMED AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE FBO FUELERS. ALL OF THE AIRCRAFT MAJOR AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS AND FLIGHT CONTROL PANELS WERE FOUND AT THE SCENE WITHIN THE DEBRIS FIELD. FAA IIC CONTACTED THE MIAMI ATC CENTER FOR WEATHER RADAR DATA AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF. WX DATA PROVIDED INDICATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR. 20SEP2016 - AT THIS TIME FAA IIC IS WAITING ON THE FOLLOWING: · RESULTS OF THE AUTOPSY AND TOXICOLOGY RESULTS FROM CAMI. THIS DATA WILL HELP THE NTSB DETERMINE IF FLIGHT CREW INCAPACITATION WAS A CAUSE OR A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT. · WITNESS STATEMENT/911 CALLER · RESULTS OF THE NTSB LAB FOR ANY RETRIEVAL OF EVENT DATA · VISIT THE SALVAGE YARD IN JACKSONVILLE, FL TO VERIFY THE FLIGHT CONTROL FUNCTIONALITY. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA16FA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA297), Aug 24, 2016: Heberlein Ronald Vans RV 9A (N379RV), Sebring, FL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.