- Date
- June 11, 1982, 18:32 local (Jun 12, 1982, 00:32 UTC)
- Place
- Abilene, TX
- Injuries
- 8 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5DMLearjet 23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820611021829A
- Case key
- 69681
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
About 5 min after takeoff, the pilot initiated a high speed low pass over the airport. When the aircraft was about 1000 ft from the airport at about 100 ft AGL, the richt winglet separated. A witness estimated that the aircraft's speed was about 200 mph. Subsequently, the plane rolled inverted and crashed. An examination revealed that the winglet was not installed in accordance to the designer's plans. Specifically, the plans called for an 8-PLY fiberglass build-up on the outside radius from the lower wing to the outside surface of the winglet. This build-up was not incorported. The designer estimated that it had less than 1/20 of the design strength. At high speed, with zero side slip, there is an inward aerodynamic (bending) load on the winglet that is equivalent to a 15 deg side slip at low speed. This winglet had failed inward. Also, a number of other deviations from the designers plans were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5DM
- Reported as
- Learjet 23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-028
- Airframe hours
- 5,164
- Engine
- GE CJ610, 2,850 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald L. Mccoy
- Registered owner
- Donald L. Mccoy
- Departed
- DAL · Dallas, TX
- Destination
- ABI · Abilene, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Abilene, runway 35, 7,199 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 6,808 total · 2,675 in this make and model · 73 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 158 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.