- Date
- August 6, 1992, 18:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Jackson, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N50WPJarrell RV-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920806029509A
- Case key
- 15232
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
An overload and total failure of the rear wing attach fitting.
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 of a homebuilt aerobatic airplane planned to perform aerobatics above his home. Witnesses observed the airplane enter a loop maneuver with an abrupt pitch up motion. As the airplane neared the top of the loop maneuver the wings folded over the canopy of the airplane. The airplane descended vertically, colliding with the ground shortly thereafter. An on-scene investigation revealed the rear spar attach fittings had failed simultaneously. The airplane's designer stated a rear spar modification had been issued to builders and owners of this type airplane. The airplane had the modification made to its structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50WP
- Reported as
- Jarrell RV-3
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 31245
- Airframe hours
- 88
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gorzen, Samuel Edward
- Registered owner
- Gorzen, Samuel Edward
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 23, 1992 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- JXN
- Destination
- JXN
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 622 total · 7 in this make and model · 434 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JXN, 5 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.