Service difficulty report · Winglet · Gulstm 500S

Difficulty date
May 8, 2007
Submitted
June 7, 2007
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Gulstm 500S
Aircraft time
11,827 hours
Engine
Lyc IO540E1B5
Propeller
Hartzl HCC3YR2
Part
Winglet
Part number
9000351
Condition
Separated
Location
Wing
Stage of operation
IN
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
D
Precautionary procedure
K

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

(CAN) IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SHEET METAL SCREWS HOLDING THE TIP ON THE WING HAD ALL COME LOOSE. THE WING TIP THEN VIBRATED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME ,ELONGATING THE SCREW HOLES IN THE WING UNTIL ALL OF THE SCREWS FELL OUT AND THE WING TIP DEPARTED THE WING IN FLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING ABNORMAL AND ONLY NOTICED IT WAS MISSING ON WALK AROUND. (TC NR 20070517007)