- Date
- May 31, 1992, 12:52 local (17:52 UTC)
- Place
- White House, TN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9CKWicks Bobcat
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920531017079A
- Case key
- 8606
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 pilot/owner's improper design change of the wing spar which resulted in the overload failure of the left wing. A factor was the pilot/owner's failure to perform a periodic inspection.
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 pilot/owner had completed the assembly of his home built airplane and had confirmed that the airplane was airworthy, before taxiing for takeoff. A witness at the sod airstrip observed the pilot's takeoff and climb to about 500 feet. The pilot made shallow turns and returned back over the airstrip, and was last seen flying in a wings level attitude west of the airstrip. The witness reported hearing a cracking sound and then saw the left wing and left door separate from the airframe. The airplane crashed in an adjacent field about 300 yards from the sod airstrip. Examination of the airframe and fractures failed to disclose a material failure. However, according to the building plans, the spar tongue which attaches the wing to the airframe, was not properly constructed with a plywood plate on the aft side of the tongue. The examination further confirmed that the wing fittings and bolts were secure. A review of the airframe maintenance log failed to disclose a current periodic inspection. The federal aviation administration's
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9CK
- Reported as
- Wicks Bobcat
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 467
- Airframe hours
- 112
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 48 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kay, Craig
- Registered owner
- Kay, Craig
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- PVT · Private
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 110 total · 110 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BNA, 35 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.