# Spar (on wing) - Type: NTSB finding subsection - Path: [Aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01) › [Aircraft structures](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/0103) › [Wing structure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/010357) › Spar (on wing) - NTSB code: 01035711 - Cases: 43 - In the probable cause: 35 - Fatal cases: 33 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035711/cases.md - Cases with it in the probable cause: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035711/cases.md?cause=1 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035711 ## Cases per year (in the probable cause / all) - 2008: 2 / 2 - 2009: 3 / 5 - 2010: 2 / 2 - 2011: 1 / 1 - 2012: 5 / 5 - 2013: 4 / 5 - 2014: 2 / 3 - 2015: 3 / 3 - 2016: 1 / 1 - 2017: 2 / 2 - 2018: 2 / 3 - 2019: 1 / 1 - 2021: 2 / 3 - 2023: 4 / 5 - 2024: 1 / 2 ## Defining events in these cases - [Aircraft structural failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337): 21 cases - [Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240): 8 cases - [Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901): 3 cases - [Part(s) separation from AC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338): 3 cases - [Turbulence encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/360): 2 cases - [Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330): 2 cases - [Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000): 2 cases - [Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900): 1 cases - [Windshear or thunderstorm](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/390): 1 cases ## Aircraft models (registry) - [Green Gary E THORP T-18](https://openairdocs.org/model/green-gary-e-thorp-t-18): 1 cases - [Socata TB21](https://openairdocs.org/model/socata-tb21): 1 cases - [Piper PA46-500TP](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa46-500tp): 1 cases - [Piper PA-28R-201](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201): 1 cases - [Piper PA-28-161](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161): 1 cases - [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250): 1 cases - [Piper PA-18-150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150): 1 cases - [Mooney M20M](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20m): 1 cases - [Glaser-Dirks DG-400](https://openairdocs.org/model/glaser-dirks-dg-400): 1 cases - [Schleicher Alexander K 7](https://openairdocs.org/model/schleicher-alexander-k-7): 1 cases ## Other findings in the same cases - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 10 cases - [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 7 cases - [Performance/control parameters, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000) (Aircraft): 7 cases - [Airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010) (Aircraft): 5 cases - [Spatial disorientation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022025) (Personnel issues): 4 cases - [Turbulence, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000) (Environmental issues): 3 cases - [Animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045) (Environmental issues): 3 cases - [Manufacture/production, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/04013000) (Organizational issues): 2 cases - [Selection/certification/testing, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/04012000) (Organizational issues): 2 cases - [Dark](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020) (Environmental issues): 2 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB CEN24FA179](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24FA179), May 13, 2024: Piper PA46-500TP (N241PM), Marianna, AR, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s design limitations, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. - [NTSB ENG24LA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ENG24LA012), Mar 1, 2024: British Aerospace BAE 146 Series 200A (N474NA), Missoula, MT, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: The use of a new long term fire retardant with a chemical composition incompatible with the retardant previously in use for the integration-operational field evaluation without adequate testing and… - [NTSB ANC24FA008](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24FA008), Dec 8, 2023: Piper PA-18-150 (N1880P), Anchor Point, AK, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: An impact to the left wing, at an undetermined time, for reasons that could not be determined, which partially separated the left wing and rendered the airplane uncontrollable. - [NTSB WPR23FA351](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23FA351), Sep 22, 2023: Golden Circle T Bird (UNREG), Arlington, WA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: A failure of the forward left wing spar due to an improper repair, which resulted in an inflight separation of the left wing. Contributing to the accident was improper maintenance by splicing the… - [NTSB ERA23FA340](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA340), Aug 17, 2023: Piper PA-28-161 (N9855S), Fort Pierce, FL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The left seat instructor’s intentional maneuvering of the airplane in an aerobatic steep turn for which it was not approved, which resulted in an exceedance of the structural limitations of the… - [NTSB WPR23LA255](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA255), Jul 5, 2023: Avia Stroitel AC-5M (N40233), North Plains, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the motor glider, which resulted in an inflight overstress separation of the right wing during a high-speed, high-wing-load spiral dive recovery.… - [NTSB ERA23FA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA209), Apr 26, 2023: Cessna 177B (N123DS), Watkinsville, GA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of airplane control, which resulted in an in-flight overload separation of the right wing during the uncontrolled descent. - [NTSB ERA22LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA084), Dec 3, 2021: Cessna 172S (N2100S), Midland, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Collision with a bird in flight, which resulted in damage to the right-wing leading-edge spar. - [NTSB CEN21FA360](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA360), Aug 7, 2021: Mooney M20M (N9156Z), Victoria, MN, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation during final approach, which led to a spiral dive that overstressed the airplane and resulted in an in-flight breakup. - [NTSB WPR21FA266](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21FA266), Jul 10, 2021: Beech C90 (N3688P), Wikieup, AZ, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The failure and separation of the left wing’s outboard section due to a fatigue crack in the lower spar cap. Contributing to the accident was the operator’s decision to repair the wing spar instead… NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted. Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1). NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.