Bruce Moore SKYBOLT N25BM
23 May 2004 · Altus, Oklahoma, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 23 May 2004 at about 18:00 local time, a Bruce Moore SKYBOLT registered N25BM was involved in an accident near Altus, Oklahoma, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Altus, Oklahoma, United States
- Nearest airport
- Altus Municipal (AXS)
- Coordinates
- 34.6986, -99.3381
- Aircraft
- Bruce Moore SKYBOLT
- Registration
- N25BM
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Altus → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW04LA148
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The partial in-flight separation of the wing fabric and rib structure due to an inadequate material installed by the airplane builder.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was performing aerobatic maneuvers when he noticed the fabric on the top right wing was separating and departing the airplane. The pilot reduced the engine power, airspeed, and altitude, and then returned to the airport. Examination of the airplane revealed the wing rib stitching had failed, and approximately 5 feet of the top right wing fabric and approximately 3 feet of the top right wing lower fabric was separated. According to a fabric manufacturer technical bulletin, "When light weight fabric is installed on an aircraft with a high horsepower engine and inadequate fabric forming structural spacing, coating fatigue cracks develop very rapidly...We recommend fabric weighing less than 2.4 [ounces] per [square yard] be used only on aircraft with engines up to 145 [horsepower]." The fabric covering weight on the airplane was 1.7 ounces per square yard, and the airplane was equipped with a 300-horsepower engine.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 2004 | Bell 206B | Cushing, Oklahoma, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 9 Dec 2004 | Beechcraft B200 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | RNH Air 1 LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2004 | Stinson 108-3 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Dec 2004 | Crosley CHRISTEN EAGLE II | Morris, Oklahoma, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Oct 2004 | Huber DR 107 | Fletcher, Oklahoma, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 May 2004 | Beechcraft BE-58P | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | Thomas McCasland | Minor injuries | - |