Jones Jay D CASSUTT M 11 N55XJ

Summary

On 12 March 2023 at about 22:05 local time, a Jones Jay D CASSUTT M 11 registered N55XJ was involved in an accident near Castroville, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 March 2023 at 22:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Castroville, California, United States

Coordinates

36.7611, -121.7554

Aircraft

Jones Jay D CASSUTT M 11

Registration

N55XJ

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marina → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA128

1 person was seriously injured.

A failure of the outboard trailing edge rib in the left wing, which resulted in a separation of the left aileron and a loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing an aileron roll when the airplane suddenly entered an uncommanded high-g maneuver, and he lost control of the airplane. He was able to release his seat belt and parachute to the ground. The left wing and aileron separated from the airplane before impacting a muddy field. The mostly intact left aileron, attached torque tube, and both trailing edge ribs separated from the wing and the torque tube fractured from the bellcrank in the fuselage. The forward halves of the upper and lower flanges and the forward flange of the outboard trailing edge rib were separated cleanly from the wing consistent with an adhesive type failure at the interface between the carbon and adhesive. The aft halves of the upper and lower flanges of the outboard trailing edge rib were separated from the trailing edge skins with a cohesive type failure through the adhesive. The lower flange also had evidence of foam core material in the bond line. The available evidence suggests that the outboard trailing edge rib failed along the bond lines between the rib, rear spar, and trailing edge skins, which resulted in a loss of control when the left aileron separated from the wing and the left wing separated from the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.