Plane Crash List

Piper PA-18 N7580D

25 February 1989 · Jacksonville, Arkansas, United States · Fatal

Summary

On 25 February 1989 at about 21:15 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N7580D, operated by Scott Aero Service Inc., was involved in an accident near Jacksonville, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 21:15
Classification
Accident
Location
Jacksonville, Arkansas, United States
Coordinates
34.8598, -92.1191
Aircraft
Piper PA-18
Registration
N7580D
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Scott Aero Service Inc.
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Perry → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
MKC89FA063

People

2 people died.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 2 0 0 0

Probable cause

SEVERE CORROSION OF THE LEFT FORWARD WING LIFT STRUT WHICH RESULTED IN THE IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE LEFT WING. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS INADEQUACY OF THE APPLICABLE SERVICE BULLETIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

TWO WITNESSES HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ACFT AS IT WAS IN FLT. THEY LOOKED UP & NOTED THE LEFT WING OF THE ACFT HAD FAILED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT SPUN TO THE GND & CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE LEFT FORWARD LIFT STRUT HAD FAILED, APRX 6 INCHES FROM WHERE IT WAS ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. A METALLURGICAL EXAM REVEALED THE INSIDE OF THE STRUT HAD BECOME CORRODED & THE STRUT HAD FAILED IN AN AREA WHERE ITS WALL HAD CORRODED TO A KNIVE EDGE (LESS THAN 0.001 INCH). THE THICKNESS OF THE NON-CORRODED PORTION OF THE WALL WAS 0.38 INCH. A CHEMICAL TEST OF THEINSIDE SURFACE SHOWED THE PRESENCE OF A CORROSION INHIBITOR (VAL-OIL) IN THE NON-CORRODED AREAS. HOWEVER, NO INHIBITOR COULD BE FND WHERE SEVERE CORROSION HAD OCCURRED. TWO FAINT LINES RESEMBLING WATER MARKS WERE FND IN THE STRUT. LOG BOOKENTRIES SHOWED THAT AD 77-03-08 & PIPER SVC BULLETIN #528B HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOODWAS POSITIVE FOR ALCOHOL (0.04%), BUT THERE WAS NO INDCN THAT THIS WAS RELATED TO THE STRUT FAILURE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA-18 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
22 Apr 1989 Piper PA-18
N90918
Anchorage, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
22 Apr 1989 Piper PA-18
N1738A
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States Niver, Mark A. Minor injuries -
30 Apr 1989 Piper PA-18
N3902Z
Wasilla, Alaska, United States
no coordinates
Fritz J. Christie Minor injuries -
19 Jan 1989 Piper PA-18-150
N83596
Medicine Lake, Montana, United States - No injuries -
18 May 1989 Piper PA-18
N7761D
Harding Lake, Alaska, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
8 Feb 1989 Piper PA-18-150
N4355Z
Boulder, Colorado, United States Boulder Flying Service No injuries -

All 2,950 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
29 Oct 1989 Cessna 402B
N6382X
Little Rock, Arkansas, United States - Fatal 1
1 Oct 1989 Alon AIRCOUPE
CGODM
Greers Ferry, Arkansas, United States Barton, Bill No injuries -
7 Oct 1989 Cessna 182
N11PG
Hasty, Arkansas, United States Standefer, Wayne B. No injuries -
20 Oct 1989 Cessna 172Q
N96299
Hiwasse, Arkansas, United States Disney, Merry L No injuries -
23 Oct 1989 Cessna 150
N704SZ
Cherokee Vill, Arkansas, United States
no coordinates
Hesston College No injuries -
13 Oct 1989 Air Tractor AT-502
N1012Z
Heafer, Arkansas, United States Nelles Air Service Minor injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States