What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This was is an amateur built aircraft that was built by the pilot. The aircraft received the experimental amateur built special airworthiness certificate 05/02/2007 in Hawaii. The pilot / builder moved to Payette id and shipped the aircraft from Hawaii to Payette, ID. The aircraft was reassembled over the winter 2016 and spring of 2017 and 06/17/2016 was the first flight after the reassembly. During the reassembly, the builder / pilot replaced the tail assembly with a new assembly and installed a new propeller. The builder / pilot (pilot) also repainted the aircraft.
06/17/2017 ? Pilot departed Payette Municipal Airport (S75) approximately 1010 MDT. The aircraft departed S75 on runway 31 heading north. The pilot made a 180 turn and made a high speed low pass down runway 13. The pilot made a steep vertical climb and a left hand turn out to the north. After the left hand turn out the left hand wing departed the aircraft and the aircraft spiraled into a field destroying the aircraft and causing the pilot fatality.
08-24-2017 - Wreckage examination found AN3H bolts installed holding the spar plates together where an AN3A or NAS6303 bolt should be installed. The AN3H bolt has a drilled head and shank. If the nut is not torqued up past the hole in the shank the bolt is weakened by the hole. Examination found several of the AN3H bolts missing in the area of the wing failure. Two AN3H bolts were found installed in the spar plates but the bolts had broken at the hole in the shank. Evidence shows that when the nut was tightened it was right at the hole in the shank. The failure of this improper harware caused the structural failure of the left wing spar and separation of the left wing from the fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
THIS WAS IS AN AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT THAT WAS BUILT BY THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED THE EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE 05/02/2007 IN HAWAII. THE PILOT / BUILDER MOVED TO PAYETTE ID AND SHIPPED THE AIRCRAFT FROM HAWAII TO PAYETTE, ID. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REASSEMBLED OVER THE WINTER 2016 AND SPRING OF 2017 AND 06/17/2016 WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER THE REASSEMBLY. DURING THE REASSEMBLY, THE BUILDER / PILOT REPLACED THE TAIL ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLED A NEW PROPELLER. THE BUILDER / PILOT (PILOT) ALSO REPAINTED THE AIRCRAFT.
06/17/2017 ? PILOT DEPARTED PAYETTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (S75) APPROXIMATELY 1010 MDT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED S75 ON RUNWAY 31 HEADING NORTH. THE PILOT MADE A 180 TURN AND MADE A HIGH SPEED LOW PASS DOWN RUNWAY 13. THE PILOT MADE A STEEP VERTICAL CLIMB AND A LEFT HAND TURN OUT TO THE NORTH. AFTER THE LEFT HAND TURN OUT THE LEFT HAND WING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT SPIRALED INTO A FIELD DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT AND CAUSING THE PILOT FATALITY.
08-24-2017 - WRECKAGE EXAMINATION FOUND AN3H BOLTS INSTALLED HOLDING THE SPAR PLATES TOGETHER WHERE AN AN3A OR NAS6303 BOLT SHOULD BE INSTALLED. THE AN3H BOLT HAS A DRILLED HEAD AND SHANK. IF THE NUT IS NOT TORQUED UP PAST THE HOLE IN THE SHANK THE BOLT IS WEAKENED BY THE HOLE. EXAMINATION FOUND SEVERAL OF THE AN3H BOLTS MISSING IN THE AREA OF THE WING FAILURE. TWO AN3H BOLTS WERE FOUND INSTALLED IN THE SPAR PLATES BUT THE BOLTS HAD BROKEN AT THE HOLE IN THE SHANK. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT WHEN THE NUT WAS TIGHTENED IT WAS RIGHT AT THE HOLE IN THE SHANK. THE FAILURE OF THIS IMPROPER HARWARE CAUSED THE STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE LEFT WING SPAR AND SEPARATION OF THE LEFT WING FROM THE FUSELAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.