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| Date: | Sunday 25 April 1999 |
| Time: | 13:00 LT |
| Type: |  Monnett Sonerai II L |
| Owner/operator: | Raymond Ives |
| Registration: | N56RA |
| MSN: | 1108 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 181 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Eastford, CT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Fitchburg, MA (KFIT) |
| Willimantic, CT (KIJD) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After having breakfast with a friend, the pilot departed. No one else reported seeing him or the airplane until a witness, approximately 50 yards from the accident site, saw the airplane a little over tree top level. While staying in the vicinity of the accident site, the airplane conducted several aerobatic maneuvers. Then, while in a steep turn to the left, the right wing separated, and then the left. The engine continued to run until ground impact. Examination of fractures surfaces on the spar-box revealed cold welds, and corrosion.
Probable Cause: Inadequate welding of the airplane's spar-box by the owner/builder, which resulted in a total spar-box failure in-flight. A factor in the accident was the pilot's decision to perform aerobatics.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC99FA097
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 26-Nov-2017 12:43 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 08-Apr-2024 06:38 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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