Amateur-built RV-9A accident near Apopka, Florida, February 23, 2014
On February 23, 2014 at about 6:35 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built RV-9A, registered N19VC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Apopka, Florida (Orlando Apopka Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the propeller spline shaft, the drive disk adapter, and the propeller speed reduction unit (PSRU) input spline due to a lack of inspection and lubrication, which resulted in a total loss of propeller drive and a subsequent forced landing. Contributing to the accident was the lack of manufacturer guidance for inspecting and lubricating the PSRU gearbox spline components.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2014 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Apopka, Florida · Orlando Apopka Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-9A, built 2011
- Registration
- N19VC · no longer on the register · serial 90319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the approach to landing, the airplane's propeller stopped spinning but that the engine continued functioning normally. He subsequently made a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane flipped over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the spline shaft had uncoupled from the drive disk adapter. The splines of the spline shaft, the drive disk adapter, and the propeller speed reduction unit (PSRU) input spline exhibited signs of severe wear consistent with fretting corrosion. Research revealed that several spline shaft failures had occurred on other airplanes; some of the failures resulted in a loss of engine power and subsequent forced landings, whereas some of the failures were identified during inspection. The manufacturer issued guidance to users to apply a nickel or copper antiseize compound on the spline shaft during installation of the PSRU to decrease wear; however, the manufacturer did not provide users with any instructions or recommendations to routinely inspect and lubricate the spline components. The pilot/builder reported that the PSRU and spline shaft had not been removed, lubricated, or inspected since it had been installed about 325 hours before the accident.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (descent) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Accessory gear › boxes › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Accessory gear › boxes › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Accessory gear › boxes › (general) › Related maintenance info
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Availability of policy/proc › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,170 hours in all; 344 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,170 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 9, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 278 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 12, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EJ25 2.5L (piston); 344 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYAM Marsh Harbour at 4:30 pm
- Destination: SFB Sanford FL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from SFB, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
14 documents, released by the NTSB on September 4, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Report and Record | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record and Follow-up - Gearbox Manufacturer | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Subenews Safety Alert Newsletter, September 2012 | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 7 | N19VC Engine Logbook | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Factual Report - Gearbox Examination | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Factual Report - Spline Component Examination | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Notes to Subenews Yahoo! Group | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Subenews Yahoo! Group Non-disclosure Agreement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Release of Wreckage | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 13 | Photo 1 - Airplane at Accident Site (Photo Courtesy of Lake County Sheriff) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 14 | Photo 2 - Engine Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.