Wittman O&O N41SW

Summary

On 27 April 1995 at about 17:10 local time, a Wittman O&O registered N41SW was involved in an accident near Stevenson, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 April 1995 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Stevenson, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

34.8708, -85.8295

Aircraft

Wittman O&O

Registration

N41SW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ocala → Oshkosh

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL95FA092

2 people died.

AILERON-WING FLUTTER INDUCED BY SEPARATION AT THE TRAILING EDGE OF AN UNBONDED PORTION OF WING FABRIC AT AN AILERON WING STATION. THE DEBONDING OF THE WING FABRIC WAS A RESULT OF IMPROPER INSTALLATION.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

REPORTS FROM GROUND WITNESSES, NONE OF WHOM ACTUALLY SAW THE AIRPLANE, VARIED FROM HEARING A HIGH REVVING ENGINE TO AN EXPLOSION. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. DAMAGE AND STRUCTURAL DEFORMATION WAS INDICATIVE OF AILERON-WING FLUTTER. WING FABRIC DOPE WAS DISTRESSED OR MISSING ON THE AFT INBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT WING UPPER SURFACE AND ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE TOP OF THE MAIN SPAR. LARGE AREAS OF DOPE WERE ALSO MISSING FROM THE LEFT WING UNDERSURFACE. THE ENTIRE FABRIC COVERING ON THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF THE RIGHT WING HAD DELAMINATED FROM THE WING PLYWOOD SKIN. THE DOPED FINISH WAS SEVERELY DISTRESSED AND MOTTLED. THE FABRIC COVERING HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLY-FIBER COVERING AND PAINT MANUAL; THE PLYWOOD WAS NOT TREATED WITH THE POLY-BRUSH COMPOUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.