What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft wing came off in flight, and the acft crashed, the 2 POB suffered fatal injuries, the acft was destroyed, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)the simulated combat flight was engaged in a beyond visual range which required a course change maneuver associated with a climb or a descent. The accident airplane preformed the maneuver with a descending left turn. While descending and turning, the safety pilot instructed the client to turn harder and to bury the nose. While following the safety pilot's instructions the right wing assembly separated from the airframe. The main airplane wreckage collided with the ground along the edge of a wooded area of a subdivision. The right wing assembly was located approximately 1/2 mile north of the main wreckage. Examination of the airplane disclosed fatigue cracking in the spar material in the vicinity of wing spar fracture face. The T-34A design 'g' load limits are +6.0 and -3.0. (-23)this aircraft was operated by sky warriors, simulating aerial combat, utilizing a laser system. During a manuver the aircraft started a descending turn followed by a rapid reversal. The right wing separated from the ai rcraft resulting in the aircraft impacting the ground. The nysb's metallurgy lab is studying the wreckage to determine if metal fatigue was a contributing factor.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WING CAME OFF IN FLIGHT, AND THE ACFT CRASHED, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)THE SIMULATED COMBAT FLIGHT WAS ENGAGED IN A BEYOND VISUAL RANGE WHICH REQUIRED A COURSE CHANGE MANEUVER ASSOCIATED WITH A CLIMB OR A DESCENT. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE PREFORMED THE MANEUVER WITH A DESCENDING LEFT TURN. WHILE DESCENDING AND TURNING, THE SAFETY PILOT INSTRUCTED THE CLIENT TO TURN HARDER AND TO BURY THE NOSE. WHILE FOLLOWING THE SAFETY PILOT'S INSTRUCTIONS THE RIGHT WING ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE MAIN AIRPLANE WRECKAGE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ALONG THE EDGE OF A WOODED AREA OF A SUBDIVISION. THE RIGHT WING ASSEMBLY WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE NORTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DISCLOSED FATIGUE CRACKING IN THE SPAR MATERIAL IN THE VICINITY OF WING SPAR FRACTURE FACE. THE T-34A DESIGN 'G' LOAD LIMITS ARE +6.0 AND -3.0. (-23)THIS AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY SKY WARRIORS, SIMULATING AERIAL COMBAT, UTILIZING A LASER SYSTEM. DURING A MANUVER THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A DESCENDING TURN FOLLOWED BY A RAPID REVERSAL. THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AI RCRAFT RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE NYSB'S METALLURGY LAB IS STUDYING THE WRECKAGE TO DETERMINE IF METAL FATIGUE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.