- Date
- September 21, 1991, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Brewton, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7509ZPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19910921042259A
- Case key
- 8475
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inflight separation of the left wing resulting from corrosion of the wing front spar fitting assembly. A factor was inadequate maintenance procedures.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The left wing separated from the airframe when one of the two wing front spar fitting clevis ears failed. Examination of the failed component uncovered corrosion between the sections making up the welded clevis ear. The accumulation of corrosion is attributed to chemical sprayed from the airplane over a long period of time. Additionally, there was no inspection procedure specified for this area of the wing fitting. Subsequently, the NTSB issued a recommendation requesting an inspection procedure to prevent the formation of corrosion between the layers of clevis material.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7509Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- PA25-3543
- Airframe hours
- 10,700
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Wallace Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Wallace Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 19, 1991 · 200 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Mc Cullough, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 11,800 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 200 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOB, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7509Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.