Smith FW2C80TD N912WB

Summary

On 27 April 1993 at about 16:59 local time, a Smith FW2C80TD registered N912WB was involved in an accident near Lucedale, Mississippi, 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.

Date

27 April 1993 at 16:59

Classification

Accident

Location

Lucedale, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

30.9207, -88.5905

Aircraft

Smith FW2C80TD

Registration

N912WB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA93LA130

2 people died.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT IN A MANNER WHICH EXCEEDED DESIGN LIMITATIONS WHICH RESULTED IN INFLIGHT FAILURE AND SEPARATION OF THE WINGS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT HAD AN FAA REG NUMBER ASSIGNED AND DISPLAYED ON THE ACFT. THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTION OR CERTIFICATE AS REQUIRED BY FAA REGULATIONS. THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED WITH A PASSENGER AND AFTER 30 MIN WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE A HIGH SPEED LOW PASS DOWN THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. THE FLT THEN PULLED UP INTO A NEAR VERTICAL CLIMB, AT WHICH TIME AN EXPLOSION OR BACKFIRE WAS HEARD AND A PUFF OF SMOKE APPEARED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DID A WING OVER MANUEVER AND WAS RETURNING TO LEVEL FLIGHT WHEN THE WINGS SEPARATED. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE WING ATTACH POINTS INDICATED ALL FAILURES WERE INDICATIVE OF OVERSTRESS AND ALL FITTINGS HAD DISTORTION DAMAGE. THE ACFT MFG STATED THE DAMAGE TO THE WINGS WAS SIMILAR TO DAMAGE OF WINGS THAT WERE FAILED AT ULTIMATE LOADING OF 6.6 POS G'S IN STATIC TESTING. THE ACFT IS RESTRICTED TO 4.4 POS G'S. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE FAA REG NUMBER WAS CUT FROM THE ACFT BEFORE TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPT ARRIVAL. THE PLT'S FATHER TOLD FAA INSPECTORS THE ACFT WAS AN ULTRALIGHT, DID NOT HAVE FAA REG, AND WAS UNDER THE U S ULTRALIGHT ASSOCIATION EXEMPTION. THE ACFT DID NOT MEET ULTRALIGHT ASSOCIATION EXEMPTION REQUIREMENTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.