- Date
- August 3, 1986, 08:20 local (13:20 UTC)
- Place
- Osawatomie, KS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6BZAttebery-Stainbrook Varieze
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860803036809A
- Case key
- 34074
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
Witnesses stated that the aircraft appeared to be operating normally and flying at cruise altitude when, suddenly the left (port) wing separated from the fuselage. Sounds of engine power ceased immediately following the in-flight breakup and the aircraft plummeted to the ground under no apparent control, the witnesses further stated. The main wreckage was located on a cornfield resting in an inverted position. The left main wing was located on an open field one quarter mile away. On-scene inspection of the wreckage revealed that neither wing had been secured to the main fuselage with any kind of fastening device. Epoxy and paint about the wing root area were found to be the only means of keeping the wings and the fuselage mated. No engine malfunction was discovered. This aircraft had logged just over 14 flight hours prior to the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6BZ
- Reported as
- Attebery-Stainbrook Varieze
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1200
- Airframe hours
- 15
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Benjamin A. Attebery
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 26, 1986
- Departed
- K81 · Osawatomie, KS
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,506 total · 15 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKC, 38 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.