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20100109025719A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Airborne STREAK 2 · Lake Isabella, CA · January 9, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 9, 2010 · 13:08 local
Place
Lake Isabella, CA
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N155TD
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR10LA104
Reported as
Airborne Streak 2
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
N155TDRegistration cancelled Sep 24, 2012 · Airborne STREAK 2S/N ST261 · Built 2002Airframe modelAirborne STREAK 2Engine modelRotax 582DCDI2 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On January 9, 2010 at 1308 pacific time, the aircraft was observed by multiple witnesses performing aerobatic like maneuvers over the town during the morning and prior to the accident. As the aircraft approached the dam of Lake Isabella, it was observed pitching down pointing the nose towards the ground followed by a pitch up of the nose. At this time, the aircraft right wing spar broke (folded right wing), causing the aircraft to turn right inverted and entered a slow spin. As the aircraft overturned the person operating the aircraft was ejected from the aircraft. Witnesses stated that the pilot normally does not wear his seatbelt. The passenger who was belted in the aircraft was also ejected. Examination of the aircraft right wing indicated that the right wing spar was overstressed due to non-standard operations possibly exceeding the limitations. The right load bearing spar failed due to excess forces that were being applied when the pilot performed aerobatic maneuvers in an aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 9, 2010 AT 1308 PACIFIC TIME, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY MULTIPLE WITNESSES PERFORMING AEROBATIC LIKE MANEUVERS OVER THE TOWN DURING THE MORNING AND PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE DAM OF LAKE ISABELLA, IT WAS OBSERVED PITCHING DOWN POINTING THE NOSE TOWARDS THE GROUND FOLLOWED BY A PITCH UP OF THE NOSE. AT THIS TIME, THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT WING SPAR BROKE (FOLDED RIGHT WING), CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN RIGHT INVERTED AND ENTERED A SLOW SPIN. AS THE AIRCRAFT OVERTURNED THE PERSON OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT WAS EJECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PILOT NORMALLY DOES NOT WEAR HIS SEATBELT. THE PASSENGER WHO WAS BELTED IN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALSO EJECTED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT WING INDICATED THAT THE RIGHT WING SPAR WAS OVERSTRESSED DUE TO NON-STANDARD OPERATIONS POSSIBLY EXCEEDING THE LIMITATIONS. THE RIGHT LOAD BEARING SPAR FAILED DUE TO EXCESS FORCES THAT WERE BEING APPLIED WHEN THE PILOT PERFORMED AEROBATIC MANEUVERS IN AN AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR10LA104Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportLake Isabella, CAThe pilot’s performance of prohibited aerobatic flight maneuvers that exceeded the structural limits of the airplane, resulting in an in-flight breakup.Jan 9, 2010 · Substantial damage