ROUND LAKE, NY, USA
N71817
HAYES KOLB/TWINSTAR
THE AMATEUR BUILT ACFT WAS ON ITS 1ST FLT AFTER BEING CONSTRUCTED. IT FLEW ABOUT 5 MIN BEFORE THE OWNER/BUILDER/PLT RETURNED THE PLANE FOR LANDING. AT ABOUT 75 FT AGL ON FINAL APCH, BOTH WINGS FAILED & THE ACFT CRASHED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT STEEL BOLTS WERE MISSING FROM THE OUTBOARD WING STRUT ATTACHMENT FITTINGS, RIVETS THAT HELD THE OUTBOARD ATTACHMENT FITTINGS TO THE WING HAD SHEARED OFF. THE REASON FOR THE MISSING BOLTS AND SHEARED REVITS WAS NOT VERIFIED. THE ACFT HAD BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE FAA, BUT THERE WAS NO AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. ALSO, NO WEIGHT & BALANCE DATA WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT, THE PLT WAS NOT AN FAA CERTIFIED AIRMAN, NOR DID HE POSSESS A VALID FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.
IN-FLIGHT STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE OUTBOARD WING ATTACHMENT FITTINGS ON BOTH WINGS DUE TO AN UNDETERMINED REASON.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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