Becker Wag Aero SUPER SPORT N285BB
3 November 1998 · Hamilton, North Dakota, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 3 November 1998 at about 19:55 local time, a Becker Wag Aero SUPER SPORT registered N285BB was involved in an accident near Hamilton, North Dakota, 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 19:55
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hamilton, North Dakota, United States
- Coordinates
- 48.8005, -97.4508
- Aircraft
- Becker Wag Aero SUPER SPORT
- Registration
- N285BB
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Cavalier → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI99LA020
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the fatigue failure of the lower wing strut attachment bracket.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A witness reported that he saw the airplane about 1,000 to 2,000 feet above ground and 'falling' from the sky. He reported a wing had separated from the airplane. The wreckage was located in a field and the right wing was found about 450 feet to the southwest of the main wreckage. The pilot had built the experimental airplane with his brothers in 1985. The airplane had approximately 1,800 hours total time. A metallurgical examination of the lower right wing strut attachment bracket revealed fatigue fractures of the lower sheet of the attachment bracket. Each side of the lower sheet contained a bend relief slot at the location of maximum bend in the lower sheet. The examination revealed that the fracture through the lower sheet extended across the bracket from one bend relief slot to the other. Aircraft fabric covered over the location of the fracture and it could not be observed during a normal pre-flight. To properly inspect the area where the fracture occurred, the fabric needed to be cut and pulled back from the aircraft frame.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 May 1998 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Dawson, North Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 May 1998 | Boeing Stearman A75-N1 | West Fargo, North Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Sep 1998 | Cessna A185F | Bottineau, North Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1998 | Piper PA-18-150 | Fargo, North Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 1998 | Grumman-Schweizer 164B | Hatton, North Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1998 | Aeronca 7BCM | Portland, North Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |