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December 5, 1993 · Upton Mustang M-II Mustang M · N4YP

Guthrie, OK

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
December 5, 1993
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 fatality)
Location
Guthrie, OK
Aircraft
Upton Mustang M-II Mustang M
Tail Number
N4YP
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
FTW94FA044

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

NTSB Probable Cause

WAS THE IN FLIGHT FAILURE OF THE LEFT AILERON FOR REASONS UNDETERMINED.

Full Narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 5, 1993, approximately 1040 central standard time, an Upton Mustang M-II, N4YP, was destroyed during an uncontrolled descent approximately 6 miles southwest of Guthrie, Oklahoma. The private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. The pilot's wife said her husband departed Downtown Airpark in Oklahoma City between 0930 and 1000 for a local personal flight. The only known witness to the accident, a farmer in a field, said he heard a loud noise, looked up, and saw the airplane diving towards the ground. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION According to the airplane's designer and the kit's manufacturer, Mustang owners and builders were cautioned several years ago to remove the pop rivets from the aileron counterweights and to replace them with a stronger type of rivet. There were no entries in the aircraft records to indicate this modification had been accomplished. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION Both wings and the left wing tip, left elevator, and left aileron were located 1, 2, and 3 miles south of the main body of wreckage, respectively. The right wing tip and both aileron counterweights were not recovered. The right side of the wing carry-through spar was bent down and twisted aft at the fracture point. Both control sticks remained attached to the aileron torque tubes, and one of the torque tubes remained attached to the right aileron. Fracture surfaces were examined by a metallurgist from the University of Denver. All failures were found to be overload. The leading edge of the left aileron was torn at the rivet line and the aluminum skin was spread out and flattened. The outboard portion of the left elevator leading edge was similarly torn at the rivet line, and the hinge attachment was bent to the right. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION An autopsy (case no. 9305339) was performed on the pilot by the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results of the toxicological examination, performed by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, are attached to this report. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION According to the pilot's wife and corroborated by his logbook, the pilot had never taken aerobatic instruction nor logged any aerobatic flights.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time10:40 CST
Nearest Airport0nm
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftUpton Mustang M-II Mustang M
Tail NumberN4YP
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-360-A1A · Reciprocating · 180
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 fatality)
Fatal1
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 35 · Third Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind360° @ 17 kt, gusting 26 kt
Visibility15 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point54 / 27 C
Altimeter29.00 inHg
Observation Time16:48
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data