Vavra Martin A REBEL 300 N12MV
23 April 1994 · Wonderlake, Illinois, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 April 1994 at about 15:35 local time, a Vavra Martin A REBEL 300 registered N12MV was involved in an accident near Wonderlake, Illinois, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:35
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wonderlake, Illinois, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.3402, -88.0304
- Aircraft
- Vavra Martin A REBEL 300
- Registration
- N12MV
- 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
- CHI94FA140
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FATIGUE AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE MAIN WING SPAR RESULTING FROM THE DESIGNER'S EXCESSIVE, UNVERIFIED ESTIMATE OF THE STRENGTH OF THE SPAR CAP MATERIAL AND THE MANUFACTURER'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE SPECIFIED STRENGTH DURING THE PRODUCTION PROCESS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A witness to the accident, who was a professional pilot and an aerobatic judge certified by the International Aerobatic Club (IAC), stated the flight originated as a practice aerobatic session. He reported that the right wing folded while the airplane was positively loaded to 6 to 7 G's. Investigation revealed the main wing spar upper cap strip failed in fatigue. Tests disclosed that the strength of the composite carbon fiber material was significantly lower than the design specification due to high porosity, excessive fiber waviness, and low fiber volume.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1994 | Piper PA-28-140 | Kankakee, Illinois, United States | Koerner Aviation, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 1994 | Cessna 150 | Alton, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 1994 | Remote Sensing CIRRUS VK-30 | Lk In the Hills, Illinois, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 22 Jul 1994 | Cessna 175 | Cottage Hill, Illinois, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 1994 | Piper PA-22 | Harvard, Illinois, United States | Edwin D. Swart | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1994 | Hucke Ronald L PARSON-2P | Monmouth, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |