Incident Summary: July 19, 2018
On July 19, 2018, a pilot was operating a newly purchased biplane when the aircraft experienced an in-flight breakup, ultimately crashing into a cornfield. Unfortunately, there were no witnesses to the accident.
Findings:
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Wreckage Distribution:
- The upper and lower left wings were found still attached to each other but disconnected from the fuselage.
- Parts of the lower right wing were located with the wreckage, but others were scattered over a distance of 400 to 800 yards from the impact site.
- Significant portions of the wing structure were not recovered.
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Wing Attachment Fittings:
- The right wing attachment fittings showed fractures around the inboard wing spar attachment bolt hole, indicating ductile overstress failure.
- The fractures appeared rough and matte gray, which is characteristic of overstressed material.
- The aft spar fitting was bent, suggesting that the wings had folded upward and backward before detaching from the aircraft.
- The primary failure location could not be identified due to missing wing structure, but there was no evidence of prior damage to the wing spar attachment fittings.
Additional Resources:
The other end of the lower right wing main spar bracket attached to a portion of the spar.
