Bellanca 7GCBC N62970

Summary

On 5 October 2007 at about 20:45 local time, a Bellanca 7GCBC registered N62970, operated by Ag-Flight, Inc, was involved in an accident near Newton, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 October 2007 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Newton, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

31.1947, -84.4853

Aircraft

Bellanca 7GCBC

Registration

N62970

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ag-Flight, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bainbridge → Eufaula

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA08FA003

1 person died.

The failure of the right wing wooden spar due while the airplane was in cruise flight, due to the mechanic's inadequate annual inspection and his failure to comply with an airworthiness directive.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On the day of the accident, the newly certificated private pilot went on a short cross-country flight to build additional time for a commercial pilot certificate. While in cruise flight, the airplane's right outboard wing, at the wing strut attachment point, separated at the front and rear wing spars as a result of preexisting compressive damage. The airplane subsequently descended out of control and impacted the ground in a near-vertical nose-down attitude. Review of the airplane’s maintenance logbook records showed that an annual inspection was completed about 10 days, and 4.2 flight hours prior to the accident. The inspection write-up found in the logbook stated in part that on the day of the annual inspection, the airframe and powerplant mechanic with an inspection authorization (IA) complied with airworthiness directive (AD) 2000-25-02 R1, by inspecting the wood wing spars in accordance with (I/A/W) American Champion Aircraft Corporation (ACAC) Service Letter 406, and stated that no cracks were detected. Further inspection of the right wing found several inspection holes, one of which was located at the wing strut attachment point on the underside of the wing, and several inspection holes on the upper surface of the wing. However, the location and number of inspection holes were inadequate to allow total compliance with AD 2000-25-02, or ACAC Service Letter 406 and ACAC Service Letter 417. Given the size of the area of preexisting damage, had the IA inspected the wing spars at the wing strut attach point, where there was an inspection hole, in an attempt to comply with AD 2000-25-02, ACAC Service Letter 406, and ACAC Service Letter 417, he would have seen the preexisting damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.