Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Newton, Georgia 39870
Friday, October 5, 2007 16:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On the day of the accident, the newly certificated private pilot went on a short cross-country flight to build additional time for a commercial pilot certificate. While in cruise flight, the airplane's right outboard wing, at the wing strut attachment point, separated at the front and rear wing spars as a result of preexisting compressive damage. The airplane subsequently descended out of control and impacted the ground in a near-vertical nose-down attitude. Review of the airplane’s maintenance logbook records showed that an annual inspection was completed about 10 days, and 4.2 flight hours prior to the accident. The inspection write-up found in the logbook stated in part that on the day of the annual inspection, the airframe and powerplant mechanic with an inspection authorization (IA) complied with airworthiness directive (AD) 2000-25-02 R1, by inspecting the wood wing spars in accordance with (I/A/W) American Champion Aircraft Corporation (ACAC) Service Letter 406, and stated that no cracks were detected. Further inspection of the right wing found several inspection holes, one of which was located at the wing strut attachment point on the underside of the wing, and several inspection holes on the upper surface of the wing. However, the location and number of inspection holes were inadequate to allow total compliance with AD 2000-25-02, or ACAC Service Letter 406 and ACAC Service Letter 417. Given the size of the area of preexisting damage, had the IA inspected the wing spars at the wing strut attach point, where there was an inspection hole, in an attempt to comply with AD 2000-25-02, ACAC Service Letter 406, and ACAC Service Letter 417, he would have seen the preexisting damage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the right wing wooden spar due while the airplane was in cruise flight, due to the mechanic's inadequate annual inspection and his failure to comply with an airworthiness directive.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/5/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Newton |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39870 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 311141N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0842907W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24748 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern Region ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 8 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 22 2008 10:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N62970 |
| NTSB Number | MIA08FA003 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | Y |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bellanca |
| Aircraft Model | 7GCBC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 367-72 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 25 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 8021.2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | William F. Howell |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bainbridge |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 31718 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Ag-Flight, Inc |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Bainbridge |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 31718 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BGE |
| Departure City | Bainbridge |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | EUF |
| Destination City | Eufaula |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2008 4:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |