NEW IBERIA, LA, USA
N4090
MOONEY M-18LA
A PLT WITNESS OBSERVED THE ACFT IN A 20 TO 30 DEG DIVE AT HIGH SPEED JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE REPORTED THAT AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 1200 TO 1300 FT, THE ACFT BEGAN A PULL-UP. AS THE PULL-UP WAS STARTED, THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE ACFT'S LEFT WING FOLDED UPWARD & THE ACFT INTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DIVE & CRASHED. THE OUTBOARD 3 FT OF THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND RELATIVELY INTACT. THE REMAINDER OF THE WING WAS BROKEN IN NUMEROUS PIECES. ALSO, THE LEFT AILERON WAS BENT UPWARD ABOUT 3 FT FROM ITS OUTBOARD END. AN EXAM OF THE WOODEN STRUCTURE REVEALED DISCOLORATION IN THE FRACTURE AREA. EVIDENCE OF WOOD DETERIORATION & DECAY WAS FOUND IN LOCALIZED AREAS AROUND WING FASTENERS. A TOXICOLOGICAL CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED SOME ALCOHOL (0.04%); HOWEVER, THE PLT'S BODY HAD NOT BEEN IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL DUE TO PUTREFACTION WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE PLT'S LAST MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS DATED 12/18/81.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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