Amateur-built VAN/RV8A accident near Sebring, Florida, May 23, 2010
On May 23, 2010 at about 1:27 pm local time, a amateur-built VAN/RV8A, registered N456DG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Sebring, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2010 · about 1:27 pm local time
- Place
- Sebring, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VAN/RV8A
- Registration
- N456DG · no longer on the register · serial 80717
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident airplane was part of a flight of six aircraft that were flying to a nearby airport together. Radar data indicated the airplane flew a relatively straight flight path from the departure airport and then initiated a descent when it was about 5 miles from the destination airport. The airplane leveled off momentarily at an altitude of 1,000 feet and then performed a 200-foot climb over the next 24 seconds, followed by a rapid descent until it impacted the ground. The airplane impacted the ground in a right wing-low, near vertical attitude. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology testing noted the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary active substance in marijuana, in the tissues of the pilot. No blood was available for testing, which made it not possible to accurately estimate the time of most recent use of the drug or whether the pilot may have been impaired by that use.
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
- Loss of control in flight during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 202 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 1:15 pm
- Destination: SEF Sebring FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 1:28 pm from OBE, 29 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.