What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While conducting a series of aileron rolls at approximately 1800 feet AGL, both wings separated from the aircraft. The fuselage impacted the ground, causing fatal injuries to the pilot. Witnesses on the ground stated that the right wing folded and separated at approximately 100 degrees of roll followed almost instananeously by the left wing. Evidence at the scene revealed that both wings separated flush with the fuselage under positive "g" loading. The main wing spar is of laminate wood construction, and is bolted to the fuselage. The wing failures occurred vertically across the spar, just outboard of the bolted attachments. The pilot was wearing a parachute but there was no evidence that she attempted to exit the aircraft prior to impact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE CONDUCTING A SERIES OF AILERON ROLLS AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 FEET AGL, BOTH WINGS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUSELAGE IMPACTED THE GROUND, CAUSING FATAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND STATED THAT THE RIGHT WING FOLDED AND SEPARATED AT APPROXIMATELY 100 DEGREES OF ROLL FOLLOWED ALMOST INSTANANEOUSLY BY THE LEFT WING. EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE REVEALED THAT BOTH WINGS SEPARATED FLUSH WITH THE FUSELAGE UNDER POSITIVE "G" LOADING. THE MAIN WING SPAR IS OF LAMINATE WOOD CONSTRUCTION, AND IS BOLTED TO THE FUSELAGE. THE WING FAILURES OCCURRED VERTICALLY ACROSS THE SPAR, JUST OUTBOARD OF THE BOLTED ATTACHMENTS. THE PILOT WAS WEARING A PARACHUTE BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO 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.
Other reports on N102MB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.