Amateur-built VANS RV-9A accident near Marianna, Florida, August 23, 2009
On August 23, 2009 at about 6:05 pm local time, a amateur-built VANS RV-9A, registered N362TS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Marianna, Florida (Marianna Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the propeller speed reduction gearbox for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to disregard the manufacturer's mandate to replace the gearbox, the manufacturer's failure to provide owners with technical substantiation for the replacement, and the pilot's decision to overfly several suitable off-field landing sites in an attempt to glide to a distant airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2009 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Marianna, Florida · Marianna Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV-9A
- Registration
- N362TS · registry record · serial 90538
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner/pilot reported that, at an altitude of about 4,000 feet in his experimental amateur-built airplane equipped with a non-certificated propeller speed reduction unit (PSRU) gearbox, he heard a loud "bang." Although the engine continued to run normally and the pilot could control the engine rpm, the pilot determined that he was no longer obtaining thrust from the propeller. In his attempt to glide to an airport about 13 miles from the failure location, the pilot overflew multiple fields and sections of roadway that were suitable for an off-field landing. The airplane struck trees 3 miles short of the intended airport, and the pilot was seriously injured. Postaccident examination revealed that the PSRU gearbox had failed catastrophically, with the result that the engine was unable to transmit power to the propeller. Investigation revealed that the accident PSRU gearbox was the manufacturer's first generation version, referred to as "Gen-I." At the time of the accident, third-generation "Gen-III" gearboxes were current, and the manufacturer had previously determined and notified owners that replacement with the Gen-III version was mandatory. The pilot was aware of the manufacturer's mandate regarding the gearbox replacement, but based on cost and time-in-service reasons, he decided not to replace his Gen-I gearbox. While the gearbox manufacturer "mandated" that owners replace their previous model gearboxes, and his published information clearly stated that he had safety concerns about the previous model gearboxes, he was actually unable to force them to replace the gearboxes. Since the manufacturer did not provide the gearbox owners with substantiating data such as failure rates, time in service, or a catalog of failure events, gearbox owners could have concluded that the manufacturer's mandate was motivated by economic, instead of safety, reasons.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › (general) › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Documentation/record keeping › (general) › Equipment supplier
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2009; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru 2.5 S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1J0 Bonifay FL at 5:51 pm
- Destination: 1J0 Bonifay FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MAI, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.