Boeing A75 N62552

Summary

On 31 July 1992 at about 15:49 local time, a Boeing A75 registered N62552, operated by Perdue, Harold F., was involved in an accident near Cibolo, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 July 1992 at 15:49

Classification

Accident

Location

Cibolo, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.5701, -98.2296

Aircraft

Boeing A75

Registration

N62552

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Perdue, Harold F.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW92FA197

1 person died.

FAILURE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT DUE FATIGUE AND THE RESULTANT COLLAPSING OF THE LEFT WING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE COMMERCIAL PILOT HAD BEEN TROUBLESHOOTING A VIBRATION PRESENT IN HIS AIRPLANE FOR THE LAST 10 FLIGHT HOURS. AFTER THE BLADE ANGLES ON THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE REALIGNED HE FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO CHECK THE VIBRATION LEVEL. WHILE ON A LEFT DOWNWIND, THE PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND SEVERED A WING STRUT AND PORTION OF THE LEFT WING. AFTER BOTH OF THE BIPLANE'S LEFT WINGS COLLAPSED, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT VERTICAL SPIRAL AND IMPACTED IN AN OPEN PASTURE. SEPARATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT WAS A RESULT OF FATIGUE ORIGINATING IN THE THREADS AT A POSITION NORMALLY IN LINE WITH THE AFT FACE OF THE THRUST NUT. THE THRUST NUT ALSO FAILED IN FATIGUE. NUT CONFIGURATION WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE CONFIGURATION INDICATED IN THE ENGINEERING DRAWING. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT ESTABLISHED IF THIS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE FAILURE. THERE WAS ALSO NO EVIDENCE OF OVER TORQUE DURING INSTALLATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.