What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 12, 2021 at 0940 local, a Wsk rzl mielec M18A aircraft was discovered crashed in a field in Seiling, OK. The subject aircraft was performing aerial agricultural operations per title 14 CFR part 137 in a field south of the crash site.
The crash site was localized with the exception of a small debris field discovered along the flight path comprised of an aircraft operating checklist as well as windscreen plexiglass fragments and parts of the aircraft main wing to include inspection covers south east of the final aircraft location.
Additionally, the left main wing was discovered to the right and aft of the aircraft main crash location with separate ground scarring which appears to indicate a potential inflight breakup of the left wing prior to the aircraft crash.
Preliminary inspection of the left wing appears to shows metal fatigue beaching marks on the forward center wing to left outboard wing attachment fitting which is likely a contributing factor to this event. A review of the aircraft maintenance records indicated an airworthiness directive (AD) for the inspection of the wing attachment fittings and lugs had been performed as required by the pilot who was also a certified mechanic.
The above is currently under investigation by the NTSB, to include a metallurgy examination of the aforementioned attachment fittings and lugs with results pending.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 12, 2021 AT 0940 LOCAL, A WSK RZL MIELEC M18A AIRCRAFT WAS DISCOVERED CRASHED IN A FIELD IN SEILING, OK. THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING AERIAL AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS PER TITLE 14 CFR PART 137 IN A FIELD SOUTH OF THE CRASH SITE.
THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCALIZED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A SMALL DEBRIS FIELD DISCOVERED ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH COMPRISED OF AN AIRCRAFT OPERATING CHECKLIST AS WELL AS WINDSCREEN PLEXIGLASS FRAGMENTS AND PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT MAIN WING TO INCLUDE INSPECTION COVERS SOUTH EAST OF THE FINAL AIRCRAFT LOCATION.
ADDITIONALLY, THE LEFT MAIN WING WAS DISCOVERED TO THE RIGHT AND AFT OF THE AIRCRAFT MAIN CRASH LOCATION WITH SEPARATE GROUND SCARRING WHICH APPEARS TO INDICATE A POTENTIAL INFLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE LEFT WING PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT CRASH.
PRELIMINARY INSPECTION OF THE LEFT WING APPEARS TO SHOWS METAL FATIGUE BEACHING MARKS ON THE FORWARD CENTER WING TO LEFT OUTBOARD WING ATTACHMENT FITTING WHICH IS LIKELY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS EVENT. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD) FOR THE INSPECTION OF THE WING ATTACHMENT FITTINGS AND LUGS HAD BEEN PERFORMED AS REQUIRED BY THE PILOT WHO WAS ALSO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC.
THE ABOVE IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE NTSB, TO INCLUDE A METALLURGY EXAMINATION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED ATTACHMENT FITTINGS AND LUGS WITH RESULTS PENDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.