Edra/McDermitt SEABIRD/PETREL N109SB
3 August 1992 · Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 3 August 1992 at about 21:10 local time, a Edra/McDermitt SEABIRD/PETREL registered N109SB, operated by Seabird Aviation, was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 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 21:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.0596, -88.5391
- Aircraft
- Edra/McDermitt SEABIRD/PETREL
- Registration
- N109SB
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Seabird Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI92FA223
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
INADEQUATE QUALITY CONTROL DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS RESULTING IN THE IN-FLIGHT STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE TAILBOOM.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE BRAZILIAN MANUFACTURED AMPHIBIAN HOMEBUILT KIT AIRPLANE HAD NOT MADE ANY WATER LANDINGS OR TAKEOFFS PRIOR TO ITS ARRIVAL AT THE EAA FLY-IN. IT HAD BEEN PARKED IN A COVE ADJACENT TO A LAKE. SOMETIME DURING THE EVENING AND/OR EARLY MORNING THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE AIRPLANE BECAME PARTIALLY SUBMERGED WHILE MOORED DUE TO ROUGH WEATHER AND WATER. IT WAS BROUGHT CLOSE TO SHORE AND THE WATER REMOVED. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT WITNESSES OBSERVED THE PILOT AND AN ASSOCIATE PULLING THE AIRPLANE ONTO SHORE BY THE TAILBOOM. DURING THE SECOND DAY OF FLYING, THE EMPENNAGE AND TAILBOOM ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE/HULL DURING A DESCENT. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE TAILBOOM WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH ONLY FOUR OF THE SIX REQUIRED CARBON FIBER LAMINATE PLIES. IN ADDITION, THE STRIPS UTILIZED TO HOLD THE TAILBOOM TOGETHER WERE ALSO MINUS ONE CARBON FIBER LAMINATE PLY. THE TAILBOOM CAME ASSEMBLED FROM THE KIT MANUFACTURER IN BRAZIL.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov 1992 | Piper PA-28-140 | Brookfield, Wisconsin, United States | Brookfield Pilot Service, Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 3 Oct 1992 | Stinson 108-3 | Mountain, Wisconsin, United States | Hartman, Phillip W. | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 1992 | Univair 415C | Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States | Carter Aero Club | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1992 | Piper PA-34-220T | Madison, Wisconsin, United States | Joseph T. Steuer | No injuries | - |
| 27 Nov 1992 | Cessna 401B | Rice Lake, Wisconsin, United States | Freight Runners Express, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Dec 1992 | Beechcraft 77 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |