Learjet 23 N5DM

Summary

On 12 June 1982 at about 00:32 local time, a Learjet 23 registered N5DM, operated by Donald L. McCoy, was involved in an accident near Abilene, Texas, United States. 8 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

12 June 1982 at 00:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Abilene, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Abilene

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Learjet 23

Registration

N5DM

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Donald L. McCoy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dallas → Abilene

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW82FPD14

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ABOUT 5 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT INITIATED A HIGH SPEED LOW PASS OVER THE AIRPORT. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 1000 FT FROM THE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, THE RICHT WINGLET SEPARATED. A WITNESS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S SPEED WAS ABOUT 200 MPH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE ROLLED INVERTED AND CRASHED. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE WINGLET WAS NOT INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE TO THE DESIGNER'S PLANS. SPECIFICALLY, THE PLANS CALLED FOR AN 8-PLY FIBERGLASS BUILD-UP ON THE OUTSIDE RADIUS FROM THE LOWER WING TO THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF THE WINGLET. THIS BUILD-UP WAS NOT INCORPORTED. THE DESIGNER ESTIMATED THAT IT HAD LESS THAN 1/20 OF THE DESIGN STRENGTH. AT HIGH SPEED, WITH ZERO SIDE SLIP, THERE IS AN INWARD AERODYNAMIC (BENDING) LOAD ON THE WINGLET THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO A 15 DEG SIDE SLIP AT LOW SPEED. THIS WINGLET HAD FAILED INWARD. ALSO, A NUMBER OF OTHER DEVIATIONS FROM THE DESIGNERS PLANS WERE NOTED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.