Kissimmee Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Kissimmee, Florida 34741
Monday, May 9, 2005 16:20 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The purpose of the flight was to familiarize the student pilot with the airplane within a 30-minute flight lesson, when the certified flight instructor demonstrated various flight and aerobatic maneuvers. Witnesses further observed the airplane enter a spin, and descended rapidly and collided with the ground. Post accident examination of the accident site revealed that the engine, propellers, main fuselage, left wing assembly, vertical and horizontal stabilizers were located in a crater 10-feet in diameter and 6-feet in depth. The right wing assembly was located 0.13 nautical miles on a 354-degree heading from the main wreckage site. No radio transmissions were received from the pilot prior to the accident. Post examination of the right wing revealed it separated due to the fatigue failure of the forward lower attach flange at the inboard side of the right wing attach joint. The fatigue fracture had a primary origin area at the lower surface of the horizontal leg of the flange at the outboard edge of the spot face for the fastener in the outboard fastener row located closest to the forward end of the flange. The fatigue crack propagated relatively slowly upward until it extended nearly through the thickness of the flange and was 2.3 inches long at the lower surface. Additionally slow-growth fatigue cracks were present at the outboard edges of other spot faces aft of the primary origin area. Beyond the slow-growth regions, the crack propagated relatively rapidly to a length of at least 12 inches aft of the forward end. Features associated with the more rapidly propagating portion of the fatigue region included relatively rough fracture features, crack arrest marks at up to 9.3 inches aft of the forward end, and wear between the fastener heads and the flange at distances up to 12 inches aft of the forward end. Subsequent to these findings the Federal Aviation Administration issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive requiring fluorescent dye penetrant inspections of the wing attach flanges at intervals of 200 hours time in service.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The failure of the outboard right-wing lower attachment bracket due to fatigue cracking and the subsequent in-flight separation of the right wing assembly.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/9/2005
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1620
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Kissimmee
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 34741
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude 275854N
Event Location Longitude 0813024W
Event Location Airport KISSIMMEE MUNI
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ISM
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 19
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 82
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1646 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 190
Weather Observation Facility ID KISM
Elevation of weather observation facility 82
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 19
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 28
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.02
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 20089
NTSB Notification Source FAA Communication center
NTSB Notification Date May 9 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record May 30 2006 1:54PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Orlando FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N453WA
NTSB Number ATL05FA079
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name North American
Aircraft Model SNJ-6
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 121-42823
Certified Max Gross Weight 5300
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Apr 1 2005 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2320
Airframe Hours 7580
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Warbird Adventure Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 233 N. Hoagland Blvd.
Aircraft Owner City Kissimmee
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 34741
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board --
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code KISM
Departure City Kissimmee
Departure State FL
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1600
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 7 2005 11:14AM
User who most recently changed record POWP
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --