- Date
- July 9, 1989, 11:43 local (18:43 UTC)
- Place
- John Day, OR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N129CCushing C2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890709020889A
- Case key
- 41045
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 improperly changed the design of the airplane by elongating holes at the wing attachment. The change was not inspected by a qualified individual. As a result of the change, the wing separated at the spar.
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
Prior to the pleasure flight, the pilot reported that when assembling the left wing, the mount bolts would not align. The pilot drilled new holes elongating the original holes. The wing was assembled and the pilot attempted a takeoff. Just after lift off, the airplane began to porpoise. Shortly there after, the left wing folded back and up. The airplane rolled inverted to the left and skidded down the runway. Post crash inspection of the airplane revealed that the wing broke away at the spar. Dry rot was noted throughout the entire structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N129C
- Reported as
- Cushing C2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 12
- Airframe hours
- 338
- Engine
- Volkswagen UNKNOWN, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wright, Jerry W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 12, 1988 · 1 hours before
- Airport
- 5JD · John Day, runway 27, 3,436 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 135 total · 3 in this make and model · 91 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.