20020608015189A

(.19) On June 8, 2002, about 0730 hours mountain standard time, an experimental Fisher celebrity bi-plane, N8205H, impacted flat desert terrain after the wings separated from the fuselage near Chandler, Arizona. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, was destroyed. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight that departed the stellar airpark airport (P19), Chandler, Arizona, at an unknown time. No flight plan had been filed. The flight was scheduled to terminate at P19. A witness submitted a written statement indicating that the accident pilot had purchased the airplane around October of 2001. The witness was in the process of building the same airplane. The accident pilot did not receive original construction plans with the airplane, so he would call the witness, and ask him questions about the airplane. About three weeks prior to the accident the witness received a call from the accident pilot. The accident pilot wanted to know what the new kit owner's (Fisher flying products) had to say about rib stitching of the wing fabric. The witness stated that the accident pilot informed him that the wing fabric was delaminating. The witness told the pilot that Fisher flying products only required that the fabric be glued to the wing ribs. The witness also gave the accident pilot the telephone number to Fisher flying products technical support, and recommended that the accident pilot ground the airplane until he had the matter resolved. About four days later the accident pilot called the witness again and told him that he (the accident pilot) had spoken to the factory. The accident pilot also stated that he had washed the airplane and "it looked a lot better." The witness informed the pilot that washing the airplane would not tighten the fabric, and if the accident pilot wanted he could use some of the left over fabric from the witnesses kit. The witness also offered to help him rib stitch the wings if the accident pilot wanted him to. The witness reported that the accident was about a week later. According to a witness, who was outside her house at the time, the airplane was flying in a southerly direction. She looked up because she heard the airplane fly overhead and it sounded like it was really close to the ground. She saw the airplane in a nose high attitude, with one of the wings parallel to the airplane. The witness stated that she saw the nose drop; the wings folded, and then watched the airplane spiral to the ground. According to a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector who examined the airplane on-scene, parts of wing spar and wing ribs, as well as paint chips were found about one-quarter of a mile from the main wreckage. Recovery personnel from air transport of phoenix, Arizona, recovered wood pieces at the accident site. The safety board investigator-in-charge (iic) inspected the airplane at air transport on June 13, 2002. Flight control continuity was established from the cabin to the rudder and elevator. Both sets of wings had separated from the fuselage. It was noted that the wing spars and wing ribs were constructed of wood. The paint on the fabric of the upper and lower left and right wings was chipped. The upper left wing had more missing paint on the fabric than the other three wings. The fabric of the upper left wing was ripped, with most of the wing ribs and wing spar missing. The fabric of the lower left wing was splitopen. The leading edge spar remained attached to the fabric; however, wing ribs and portions of the wing spar were missing. The upper and lower wings were connected via an interplane strut that did not remain attached to the left wings. The interplane strut for the upper and lower right wings remained connected. The upper right wing was split open at the trailing edge seam with some wing ribs and wing spar still adhered to the wing. The lower right wing had split open in various locations and contained the most wing ribs and wing spar. (-23) aircraft departed kchd airport on a pleasure flight with the pilot and his daughter. About 25 minutes after takeoff, approximately 4.8 NM from the airport, witness heard the engine "pop", the aircraft went to a nose hight attitude, and then descended in a spiral impacting the ground at a very steep angle. Witnesses report that both wings on one side of this biplane failed just before entering the spiral. Both occupants were fatally injured. At this time, no causal factors are known.