Mustang II UNREG

Summary

On 25 January 2020 at about 22:12 local time, a Mustang II registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Senoia, Georgia, 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

25 January 2020 at 22:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Senoia, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Big T Airport (64GA)

Coordinates

33.2900, -84.5408

Aircraft

Mustang II

Registration

UNREG

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Senoia → Senoia

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20FA086

2 people died.

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s structural limitations while conducting previous aerobatic maneuvers, which resulted in an in-flight breakup of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to a previous owner of the experimental, amateur-built airplane, the pilot had flown aerobatic maneuvers in the airplane about 1 week before the accident, during which he exceeded the airplane’s never exceed speed of 230 mph by between about 20 to 25 mph. Additionally, two videos provided by a witness showed the airplane making two high-speed, low passes over the airport earlier on the day of the accident. The airplane owner stated that, after the pilot departed for the accident flight, the pilot flew over the local area for about 15 minutes and then performed a barrel roll. Video evidence revealed six rolls. Shortly thereafter, the canopy and vertical stabilizer separated, and the airplane subsequently descended nose down and impacted terrain. During the descent and just before impact, the outboard section of the right horizontal stabilizer separated. Examination of the canopy frame revealed that it had separated due to overstress and that it did not have reinforcing gussets installed per a kit manufacturer canopy frame revision issued in 1984. Metallurgical examination of the vertical stabilizer revealed ratchet marks along the internal edge of the aft doubler rib consistent with stress and multiple fatigue cracks. Based on the evidence, it is likely that the pilot previously exceeded the airplane’s structural limits, which led to the in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer and canopy.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.