What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on February 24, 1998, about 1320 central standard time, an experimental airplane called a Cumulus, N1171U, registered to an individual, operating as a 14 CFR 91 personal flight, experienced an in-flight breakup while in cruise near Hillsboro, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The rated commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated from spencer field, Tennessee, about 50 minutes before the accident. An eyewitness stated he heard a loud "pop", looked up, and saw the airplane's wing, or a large part of one, separated from the main structure. A ballistic parachute deployed, but fouled in the airplane's pusher-type propeller. Ment of the parachute's canopy. On-site examination of the wreckage by FAA personnel revealed that the left wing spar failed. Subsequent inspection by representatives of the kit manufacturer, U.S. Aviation, and the FAA, revealed that the initial failure was the left wing spar due to improper bonding techniques. Specifically, the glue-bonded joint between the d-cell leading edge and the upper spar capstrip of the left wing failed. The findings were unanimous. (See enclosed letter indicating inspection team's composition and findings). Postmortem examination of the pilot and toxicology testing were not accomplished. The protocol guidance given the FAA investigators on the scene, by the FAA flight surgeon's office/southern region, was to treat the accident as an ultralight accident, and therefore the testing was not ordered. (-23) see narrative #MIA98LA084
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON FEBRUARY 24, 1998, ABOUT 1320 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE CALLED A CUMULUS, N1171U, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP WHILE IN CRUISE NEAR HILLSBORO, TENNESSEE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SPENCER FIELD, TENNESSEE, ABOUT 50 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. AN EYEWITNESS STATED HE HEARD A LOUD "POP", LOOKED UP, AND SAW THE AIRPLANE'S WING, OR A LARGE PART OF ONE, SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN STRUCTURE. A BALLISTIC PARACHUTE DEPLOYED, BUT FOULED IN THE AIRPLANE'S PUSHER-TYPE PROPELLER. MENT OF THE PARACHUTE'S CANOPY. ON-SITE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY FAA PERSONNEL REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING SPAR FAILED. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE KIT MANUFACTURER, U.S. AVIATION, AND THE FAA, REVEALED THAT THE INITIAL FAILURE WAS THE LEFT WING SPAR DUE TO IMPROPER BONDING TECHNIQUES. SPECIFICALLY, THE GLUE-BONDED JOINT BETWEEN THE D-CELL LEADING EDGE AND THE UPPER SPAR CAPSTRIP OF THE LEFT WING FAILED. THE FINDINGS WERE UNANIMOUS. (SEE ENCLOSED LETTER INDICATING INSPECTION TEAM'S COMPOSITION AND FINDINGS). POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION OF THE PILOT AND TOXICOLOGY TESTING WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHED. THE PROTOCOL GUIDANCE GIVEN THE FAA INVESTIGATORS ON THE SCENE, BY THE FAA FLIGHT SURGEON'S OFFICE/SOUTHERN REGION, WAS TO TREAT THE ACCIDENT AS AN ULTRALIGHT ACCIDENT, AND THEREFORE THE TESTING WAS NOT ORDERED. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #MIA98LA084
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.