Progressive Aerodyne INC SEAREY accident near Sebring, Florida, August 23, 2016
On August 23, 2016 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 2001 Progressive Aerodyne INC SEAREY, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N801SR, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sebring, Florida (Sebring Regional Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A disconnected ground wire during initial climb, which degraded the fuel boost pumps’ performance and resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2016 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sebring, Florida · Sebring Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Progressive Aerodyne INC SEAREY NO SERIES, built 2001, amateur-built
- Registration
- N801SR · registry record · serial 1MK283
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial climb on an instructional flight in the experimental amateur-built airplane, about 200 ft above ground level, the engine began running rough. The flight instructor immediately decreased the airplane's angle of attack and the engine subsequently experienced a total loss of power. The flight instructor tried to land on the remaining runway; however, the airplane landed hard and struck an embankment. Examination of the airplane revealed wiring that contained mismatched wire gauges and splices throughout the wiring harnesses. The ground wire for the master arm solenoid was disconnected from the back of the ignition switch. Without this ground wire, the battery was disconnected from the airplane's electrical system. The airplane's rectifier kept the fuel boost pumps running per the wiring diagrams; however, a postaccident engine run revealed that the rectifier was weak and only displacing 12.3 volts, rather than its nominal output voltage of 13.5 +/- 0.2 volts. It is likely that, during takeoff, the ground wire became disconnected from the ignition switch and the weak rectifier could not adequately supply the high electrical load requirements imposed by the fuel boost pumps, the landing gear motors retracting the gear, and the strobe lights. This degraded the performance of the fuel boost pumps, resulting in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during takeoff defining event
- Fuel starvation during initial climb
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Electrical pwr sys wiring › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Related operating info
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 34,000 hours in all; 95 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,058 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 3, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 914ULS (piston); 358 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEF Sebring FL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: SEF Sebring FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,234 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from KOBE, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2018. 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 | Interview Summaries | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | 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.