Summary
On July 04, 1994, a Pitts S2B (N61PS) was involved in an incident near Fort Lauderdale, FL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: THE POOR WELDING QUALITY OF THE MANUFACTURER, RESULTING IN THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE AILERON ATTACHMENT BRACKET.
On July 4, 1994, about 1400 eastern daylight time, N61PS, a Pitts S2B, registered to the pilot David Swartz, experienced an in-flight control system failure while maneuvering on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured. The flight originated about 1330 the same day.
The pilot stated that while performing aerobatics he heard a "pop". He then noticed partial loss of control of aileron travel. He returned to the airport and landed without further incident. Postflight inspection of the airplane revealed a failure of the upper, right, inboard aileron welded bracket.
This incident is documented in NTSB report MIA94LA171. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N61PS.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE POOR WELDING QUALITY OF THE MANUFACTURER, RESULTING IN THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE AILERON ATTACHMENT BRACKET.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On July 4, 1994, about 1400 eastern daylight time, N61PS, a Pitts S2B, registered to the pilot David Swartz, experienced an in-flight control system failure while maneuvering on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured. The flight originated about 1330 the same day.
The pilot stated that while performing aerobatics he heard a "pop". He then noticed partial loss of control of aileron travel. He returned to the airport and landed without further incident. Postflight inspection of the airplane revealed a failure of the upper, right, inboard aileron welded bracket. This same airplane experienced longeron failures at the welds on May 26, 1994, reference, NTSB accident case number MIA94LA154.
The failed aileron bracket was submitted to the NTSB laboratory for examination. The examination revealed three distinct fatigue origins between the toe of the weld and the welded zones. The weld itself exhibited sharp and high weld crowns.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA94LA171