What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witness heard a snap, aircraft spiral in and crashed nose first into ground.(.4)a witness heard the airplane flying overhead, and heard a 'sharp snap.' When he looked, he estimated that the airplane was about 1,500 to 2,500 feet above the ground, descending in a wide 'swirling' motion, counter clockwise. The airplane struck the ground about 2,000 feet from his residence. The homebuilt airplane had been constructed in Florida, and then purchased by another pilot. The new owner trailered the airplane to Pennsylvania, and installed the wings. The airplane was inspected by a FAA inspector, test flown for 40 hours by the accident pilot and the owner, and had an annual inspection performed on it. After the annual inspection, it was again inspected by the FAA inspector, and an airworthiness certificate was issued. About 4 to 5 flight hours later the accident occurred. Examination of the wreckage revealed the right rear jury strut was broken from the rear spar attaching point, with the jury base plate still intact. The two self locking nuts and bolts holding the base plate to the spar were only finger tight. The jury strut connections were not visible through the completed wing I nspection holes. Soem glued areas contained sanding marks, but were not covered with glue.
As the FAA filed it
WITNESS HEARD A SNAP, AIRCRAFT SPIRAL IN AND CRASHED NOSE FIRST INTO GROUND.(.4)A WITNESS HEARD THE AIRPLANE FLYING OVERHEAD, AND HEARD A 'SHARP SNAP.' WHEN HE LOOKED, HE ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 1,500 TO 2,500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, DESCENDING IN A WIDE 'SWIRLING' MOTION, COUNTER CLOCKWISE. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND ABOUT 2,000 FEET FROM HIS RESIDENCE. THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN FLORIDA, AND THEN PURCHASED BY ANOTHER PILOT. THE NEW OWNER TRAILERED THE AIRPLANE TO PENNSYLVANIA, AND INSTALLED THE WINGS. THE AIRPLANE WAS INSPECTED BY A FAA INSPECTOR, TEST FLOWN FOR 40 HOURS BY THE ACCIDENT PILOT AND THE OWNER, AND HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION PERFORMED ON IT. AFTER THE ANNUAL INSPECTION, IT WAS AGAIN INSPECTED BY THE FAA INSPECTOR, AND AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED. ABOUT 4 TO 5 FLIGHT HOURS LATER THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE RIGHT REAR JURY STRUT WAS BROKEN FROM THE REAR SPAR ATTACHING POINT, WITH THE JURY BASE PLATE STILL INTACT. THE TWO SELF LOCKING NUTS AND BOLTS HOLDING THE BASE PLATE TO THE SPAR WERE ONLY FINGER TIGHT. THE JURY STRUT CONNECTIONS WERE NOT VISIBLE THROUGH THE COMPLETED WING I NSPECTION HOLES. SOEM GLUED AREAS CONTAINED SANDING MARKS, BUT WERE NOT COVERED WITH GLUE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.