- Date
- June 18, 1988, 17:18 local (21:18 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore Falls, ME
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4129YBellanca 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880618070909A
- Case key
- 36005
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
The citabria 7GCBC was observed to make a loop. The left wing bent upward at the strut attach point as the aircraft was at the bottom of the loop and recovering to level flight. The aircraft was then observed to descend in a right spiral and not recover prior to contact with the ground. Improper left fwd wing spar manufacturing was found. No problems were noted on the left rear wing spar. The fwd wing spar failed with tension on the top and compression on the bottom. The rear wing spar had tension on the bottom and compression on the top. The left wing outboard of the strut attach point separated from the aircraft prior to impact. The left aileron was bent upward 90 degrees at the middle hinge point which corresponds to the strut attach point. Investigation revealed that the slope of the grain on the fwd wing spar exceeded specifications. Also two areas of poor bonding were found. The aircraft log books were not found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4129Y
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 951-76
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard A. Tilton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Departed
- B10 · Livemore Falls, ME
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUG, 14 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.