Swearingen SA-26AT N199TA

Summary

On 19 June 1985 at about 20:10 local time, a Swearingen SA-26AT registered N199TA was involved in an accident near Rocksprings, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

19 June 1985 at 20:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Rocksprings, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.0101, -100.2106

Aircraft

Swearingen SA-26AT

Registration

N199TA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Del Rio → McGregory

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW85FA259

1 person died.

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

AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU 14,800' FOR 19,000', THE PLT REPORTED A RAPID DECOMPRESSION. TWO MINUTES LATER, HE REPORTED THAT HE HAS LOST THE TAIL. ACFT IMPACTED IN AN INVERTED FLAT SPIN AND THE TAIL AND A SECTION OF EMPENNAGE WERE FOUND ABOUT 3/4 MILE AWAY FROM MAIN WRECKAGE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A SKIN SEAM HAD SPLIT OPEN ALONG A 54' SPAN IN AN AREA WHERE 2 PIECES OF 'L' SHAPED CHANNEL HAD BEEN RIVETED TOGETHER TO FORM A STRINGER. NORMALLY THE STRINGER WOULD BE MADE USING A SINGLE PIECE OF 'T' SHAPED CHANNEL. THE NON-STANDARD STRINGER HAD BEEN FABRICATED DURING REPAIRS MADE ON THE ACFT FOLLOWING A GEAR UP LANDING 7 YRS PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT. ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE RIVETS HOLDING THE 'L' CHANNELS TOGETHER AND FAILED IN FATIGUE DUE TO TENSILE CYCLIC LOADING WHENEVER THE ACFT WAS PRESSURIZED. ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF PRESSURIZATION PROBLEMS FOLLOWING THE REPAIR THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY PERFORMED OR INSPECTED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.