Summary
On April 19, 2024, a Bailey-moyes Dragonfly (UNREG) was involved in an accident near Groveland, FL. The accident resulted in 1 fatal injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
On April 19, 2024, about 1330 eastern daylight time, an unregistered Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly airplane was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Sheets Airport (FA42), Groveland, Florida. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to witnesses, shortly after takeoff, the airplane climbed to an altitude of 200 of 300 ft before turning east.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA24LA185. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft UNREG.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s improper installation and inspection of the right lower wing strut attachment bolt, which resulted in the inflight failure of the right wing.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On April 19, 2024, about 1330 eastern daylight time, an unregistered experimental, amateur-built Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly airplane was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Sheets Airport (FA42), Groveland, Florida. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to witnesses, the airplane departed to the south, climbed to about 200 to 300 ft above ground level, and then turned east. Shortly thereafter, the right wing “folded upward,” and the airplane entered a spiral descent before impacting terrain about 500 ft east of the departure end of the north-south landing area.
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and reported that the right lower wing strut block bolt had been threaded through the fuselage bulkhead and tightened, but did not pass through the hole in the wing strut block, resulting in no connection between the wing strut and the fuselage. The bolt and the wing strut block exhibited no damage (see Figure 1)._
Figure 1. Fuselage connection point with bolt installation as found (Source: FAA)
The accident flight was the airplane’s first flight since it was assembled by the pilot. Inspection of the hangar where the airplane was assembled revealed that no assembly checklist or assembly manual was present in the work area. The airplane did not have a data plate installed and had not been inspected by a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) or an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) inspector. No airworthiness certificate or operating limitations had been issued for the airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA24LA185