Wesley STRIPLIN RANGER N46WW

Summary

On 18 September 1989 at about 15:40 local time, a Wesley STRIPLIN RANGER registered N46WW was involved in an accident near Smith Creek, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 September 1989 at 15:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Smith Creek, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.9101, -82.5993

Aircraft

Wesley STRIPLIN RANGER

Registration

N46WW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Huron → Port Huron

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI89DEC08

1 person died.

THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE WINGTIP FUEL TANK WHICH RESULTED IN ITS INFLIGHT SEPARATION AND THE SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING SOMETHING HANGING FROM THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE ALONG WITH FUEL COMING FROM THE LEFT WING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT DIVING TURN AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. EXAMINATION REVEALED THE LEFT WINGTIP FUEL TANK WAS MISSING AND IT WAS NOT LOCATED. THE LEFT WING INBOARD TANK WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 100 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THREE FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE LEFT AILERON WAS REPAIRED DUE TO DELAMINATION OF THE SKIN. THE KIT MANUFACTURER STATED THE WINGTIP TANKS SHOULD BE ATTACHED WITH 6 SCREWS, LARGE WASHERS AND NUT PLATES. REPORTEDLY, THE WINGTIP TANKS WERE ATTACHED WITH 4 SCREWS AND NUT PLATES WITH NO WASHERS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.