Upton MUSTANG II N49YP

Summary

On 14 June 1994 at about 19:28 local time, a Upton MUSTANG II registered N49YP was involved in an accident near Churchtown, Ohio, 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

14 June 1994 at 19:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Churchtown, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

39.4694, -81.6300

Aircraft

Upton MUSTANG II

Registration

N49YP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Parkersburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO94LA099

2 people died.

THE PILOT'S PERFORMANCE OF A MANEUVER THAT EXCEEDED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRPLANE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED ENTERING AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER SIMILAR TO A TAIL SLIDE. DURING THE MANEUVERING, AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRPLANE OCCURRED. PIECES OF THE AIRPLANE WERE FOUND OVER AN 1800' AREA. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE CANOPY HAD SHATTERED; THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, RIGHT ELEVATOR, LEFT AILERON, CANOPY FRAME & PASSENGER'S BODY HAD SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF DOWNWARD DEFORMATION ON THE SEPARATED STABILIZER & ELEVATOR. ALSO, EVIDENCE OF A PREEXISTING CRACK WAS FOUND IN THE CANOPY LATCH MECHANISM, BUT THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THE LATCH HAD FAILED BEFORE OR AFTER THE IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP HAD BEGUN. THE AIRPLANE KIT MANUFACTURER DISCOURAGED TAIL SLIDES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.