What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Inverted duall flite SIC used back stick. Began split s, too fast lost right wing. SIC not a CFI. Reckless atitude. (.19) on June 20, 1995, at 1927 central daylight time (CDT), an American champion 8KCAB, N109AC, registered to the alpha charley flying club, incorporated, of olympia fields, Illinois, and piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during a collision with the ground following an in-flight structural failure. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerobatic 14 CFR part 91 training flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot/part owner of the airplane received serious injuries. The second occupant, also a private pilot, was fatally injured. The flight departed Frankfort, IL, exact time unknown. (.4) the private pilot-owner was giving aerobatic instruction to another private pilot. The pilot had the second pilot place the airplane into inverted flight so he could see where the nose of the airplane should be during an aileron roll. The second pilot was flying the airplane in an inverted attitude with full power and high RPM. He told the second pilot to roll out of the inverted flight. The second pilot pulled aft on the control stick and did a split-s maneuver. The airspeed was above the never exceed speed during its descent. He knew this because he had flown above that speed before so that he could know what it sounded like. As he began to start recovery the right wing separated, and was the first airframe component along the wreckage trail. The left wing was the second item along the wreckage trail, and was mangled and twisted. The left wing's main wing strut attach fitting had a fatigue striation pattern through about 90% of its aft leg. Fatigue cracking went through about 25 percent of the fitting's forward leg. (-23) aircraft was practicing aerobatics when the right wing came off aircraft. The aircraft fell to the ground shedding other wing. One pilot, Mr. Gordon, was thrown from the aircraft and parachuted to safety with minor injuries. The other pilot, Mr. Chudzick, remained with the aircraft and was fatally injured as the aircraft crashed, burned, and was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
INVERTED DUALL FLITE SIC USED BACK STICK. BEGAN SPLIT S, TOO FAST LOST RIGHT WING. SIC NOT A CFI. RECKLESS ATITUDE. (.19) ON JUNE 20, 1995, AT 1927 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), AN AMERICAN CHAMPION 8KCAB, N109AC, REGISTERED TO THE ALPHA CHARLEY FLYING CLUB, INCORPORATED, OF OLYMPIA FIELDS, ILLINOIS, AND PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING A COLLISION WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT STRUCTURAL FAILURE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AEROBATIC 14 CFR PART 91 TRAINING FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT/PART OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE SECOND OCCUPANT, ALSO A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FRANKFORT, IL, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. (.4) THE PRIVATE PILOT-OWNER WAS GIVING AEROBATIC INSTRUCTION TO ANOTHER PRIVATE PILOT. THE PILOT HAD THE SECOND PILOT PLACE THE AIRPLANE INTO INVERTED FLIGHT SO HE COULD SEE WHERE THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE SHOULD BE DURING AN AILERON ROLL. THE SECOND PILOT WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE IN AN INVERTED ATTITUDE WITH FULL POWER AND HIGH RPM. HE TOLD THE SECOND PILOT TO ROLL OUT OF THE INVERTED FLIGHT. THE SECOND PILOT PULLED AFT ON THE CONTROL STICK AND DID A SPLIT-S MANEUVER. THE AIRSPEED WAS ABOVE THE NEVER EXCEED SPEED DURING ITS DESCENT. HE KNEW THIS BECAUSE HE HAD FLOWN ABOVE THAT SPEED BEFORE SO THAT HE COULD KNOW WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE. AS HE BEGAN TO START RECOVERY THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED, AND WAS THE FIRST AIRFRAME COMPONENT ALONG THE WRECKAGE TRAIL. THE LEFT WING WAS THE SECOND ITEM ALONG THE WRECKAGE TRAIL, AND WAS MANGLED AND TWISTED. THE LEFT WING'S MAIN WING STRUT ATTACH FITTING HAD A FATIGUE STRIATION PATTERN THROUGH ABOUT 90% OF ITS AFT LEG. FATIGUE CRACKING WENT THROUGH ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF THE FITTING'S FORWARD LEG. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS PRACTICING AEROBATICS WHEN THE RIGHT WING CAME OFF AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT FELL TO THE GROUND SHEDDING OTHER WING. ONE PILOT, MR. GORDON, WAS THROWN FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND PARACHUTED TO SAFETY WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE OTHER PILOT, MR. CHUDZICK, REMAINED WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FATALLY INJURED AS THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED, BURNED, AND WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.