# Accident 20210222000259A: Babenco Henry D VANS RV-7A, Mayfield, KY, February 22, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 22, 2021, 16:50 local time
- Place: Mayfield, KY
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.7792° N, 88.5841° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7792&lon=-88.5841&mi=10
- Aircraft: N383DB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N383DB-2022-09-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Babenco Henry D VANS RV-7A (registry code 056208U, https://openairdocs.org/model/babenco-henry-d-vans-rv-7a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-M1B (registry code 41871, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-m1b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BABENCO HENRY D VANS RV-7A
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-M1B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA21FA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21FA135) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210222000259A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF A MILE NORTH OF THE MAYFIELD, KY AIRPORT (M25) AND DIRECTLY INLINE WITH THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE.  EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE CONCURRENT WITH A NOSE DOWN, HIGH ANGLE OF TRAJECTORY,  AND A HIGH SPEED IMPACT.  THE PILOT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT, STATED TO AN ACQUAINTANCE JUST PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO SOME AEROBATICS.  ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT SHE SAW THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF, GAIN ALTITUDE, FLIP OVER, AND DIVE INTO THE GROUND.  A POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE.  ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDING THE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE.  FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE.  ALL FUEL TANKS WERE BREACHED.  THERE WAS AN ODOR OF GASOLINE PRESENT DURING RECOVERY OF THE WRECKAGE.  AN OFFSITE TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE FOUND NO ABNORMALITIES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO  THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 ERA21FA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21FA135), Feb 22, 2021: Vans RV7 (N383DB), Mayfield, KY, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of airplane control, and subsequent impact with 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.