ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 178764
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| Date: | Sunday 16 August 2015 |
| Time: | 12:00 LT |
| Type: |  MXR Technologies MX2 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N88MX |
| MSN: | 011 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Serruelles Airfield (LFFU) - Cher -
 France
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Serruelles Airfield (LFFU) |
| Serruelles Airfield (LFFU) | |
| Investigating agency: | BEA |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft of the South African pilot Nigel Hopkins crashed while training for the world championship. One of the plane's wings broke off during flight. According to the Pilot, the right wing departed first and then the engine broke away to the left and downwards.
The aircraft came to rest in a field near the airport. The pilot parachuted and he's unharmed.
BEA France final report:
The pilot is on a training flight for his participation in the "unlimited" aerobatic world championship scheduled four days later. At the end of his program of ten minutes, the pilot leaves the axis of aerobatics and heads for the track for a final pass in front of the public. He starts downhill, accelerating to 200 kt in order to climb in "candle". When the pilot starts the resource at 8 g, he explains hearing a "loud explosion". The right wing breaks and the engine broke from the fuselage. The pilot managed to evacuate the plane and deployed his parachute. He landed in a cornfield.
LESSONS LEARNED AND CONCLUSION
1 Sequence of rupture in flight
The investigation showed that the upper right reinforcement of the engine mount fuselage broke during a resource of about 8 g. This break generated excessive stresses in the other three reinforcements that broke instantly overload, causing tearing of the firewall.
The engine and its frame have thus disengaged from the cell. Under the effect of the loss of the engine, the centering of the aircraft moved instantly beyond the limit rear and the aircraft has pitched up abruptly, still subject to the action of the governor depth to perform the resource. The right wing then broke to mid-span under the action of abnormally high forces.
2 Cause of primary rupture
The failure of the right upper reinforcement of the engine mount on the airframe occurred in fatigue while the aircraft had always been operated in the flight envelope defined by the manufacturer.
The fatigue crack appeared due to a sticking defect, probably related to its implementation, associated with a non-optimal design of these reinforcements. These reinforcements are indeed solicited at the assembly screwed in one direction which is not the one offering the best tensile strength of a composite. In addition, the washer of the screwed assembly is in direct contact with the composite, punching it in service. This generates stress concentrations local to the right of the washer and promotes the initiation of cracks.
3 Enterprise safety action
Following the N88MX accident, the manufacturer calculated that it was necessary to change, on the MX2, the washers of the screwed assemblies allowing to fix the engine mount to the fuselage, the level of associated stresses exceeding the eligible loads of the composite. Moreover for planes that are used beyond of 8 g, the manufacturer also established that it was necessary to install an insert metal between the washer and the composite surface of the rear face of the angle.
See complete report below (in french)
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.leberry.fr/cher/actualite/pays/boischaut/2015/08/17/un-avion-s-ecrase-lors-d-un-entrainement-de-voltige-le-pilote-est-indemne-mis-a-jour_11551897.html
https://www.flyingmag.com/technique/accidents/aerobatic-pilot-survives-extreme-failure
_____________________________
https://www.bea.aero/uploads/tx_elydbrapports/BEA2015-0491.pdf
https://www.bea.aero/index.php?id=40&news=14001&cHash=7fc9b12ec6412a98e0e5766940e006f8
Images:
Media:
📄 Publication du rapport d’enquête sur l’accident de l’avion expérimental #MXAircraft MX2 immatriculé N88MX survenu le 16/08/2015 à #Châteauneuf sur Cher / Rupture en vol lors d’une ressource, évacuation du pilote, en voltige. https://t.co/Wl3EI8l3WN pic.twitter.com/YelX9cSj9A
— BEA | Bureau d'Enquêtes & d'Analyses ✈️ 🚁🛩 🇫🇷 (@BEA_Aero) 27 septembre 2018
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Aug-2015 18:01 | Iceman29 | Added |
| 18-Aug-2015 08:05 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 18-Aug-2015 22:09 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 23-Aug-2015 17:02 | Akrogeek | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 27-Sep-2018 10:48 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 27-Sep-2018 10:51 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, Photo] |
| 28-Sep-2018 12:23 | harro | Updated [Source, Accident report, ] |
| 28-Sep-2018 19:43 | harro | Updated [Narrative] |
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