What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The pilot recalled that as the airplane descended through 1700 feet, the left wing assembly came up over the cockpit and separated from the airframe. The pilot reported that he always flew his airplane wearing a parachute, and as the airplane entered a spin he was ejected from the cockpit. After clearing the airframe, the pilot pulled the ripcord to deploy the parachute; a full parachute canopy was achieved 300 feet above the ground. During the examination of the airframe the left wing flying wire attachment plate was located and was discovered to have failed. The attachment plate fracture faces were examined with an optical microscope and were found to contain banding, typical of fatigue cracking, on both sides of the attachment hole. The fatigue cracking propagated nearly through the thickness of the plate. Elevated oxygen peaks, indicative of corrosion deposits, were also discovered. (-23)pilot stated that he was in a slow descent when he heard a loud snap, then the aircraft began to roll violently. He stated that the left wing came up and hit the fuselage. He then released his seat belt and the centrif ugal force threw him from the aircraft. He tne deployed his parachute and landed safely. During the investigation, the lower aft flywire bracket that attaches to the wing was broken. Part of the flywire bracket was still attached to the flywire. One flywire on the right side at the clevis attachment point was broke and appears to have been broken from the impact.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE PILOT RECALLED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED THROUGH 1700 FEET, THE LEFT WING ASSEMBLY CAME UP OVER THE COCKPIT AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ALWAYS FLEW HIS AIRPLANE WEARING A PARACHUTE, AND AS THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SPIN HE WAS EJECTED FROM THE COCKPIT. AFTER CLEARING THE AIRFRAME, THE PILOT PULLED THE RIPCORD TO DEPLOY THE PARACHUTE; A FULL PARACHUTE CANOPY WAS ACHIEVED 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME THE LEFT WING FLYING WIRE ATTACHMENT PLATE WAS LOCATED AND WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE FAILED. THE ATTACHMENT PLATE FRACTURE FACES WERE EXAMINED WITH AN OPTICAL MICROSCOPE AND WERE FOUND TO CONTAIN BANDING, TYPICAL OF FATIGUE CRACKING, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATTACHMENT HOLE. THE FATIGUE CRACKING PROPAGATED NEARLY THROUGH THE THICKNESS OF THE PLATE. ELEVATED OXYGEN PEAKS, INDICATIVE OF CORROSION DEPOSITS, WERE ALSO DISCOVERED. (-23)PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS IN A SLOW DESCENT WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD SNAP, THEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL VIOLENTLY. HE STATED THAT THE LEFT WING CAME UP AND HIT THE FUSELAGE. HE THEN RELEASED HIS SEAT BELT AND THE CENTRIF UGAL FORCE THREW HIM FROM THE AIRCRAFT. HE TNE DEPLOYED HIS PARACHUTE AND LANDED SAFELY. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, THE LOWER AFT FLYWIRE BRACKET THAT ATTACHES TO THE WING WAS BROKEN. PART OF THE FLYWIRE BRACKET WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FLYWIRE. ONE FLYWIRE ON THE RIGHT SIDE AT THE CLEVIS ATTACHMENT POINT WAS BROKE AND APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN BROKEN FROM THE IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.