NTSB Aircraft Accident Reports · Accident report

In-Flight Separation of Wings Involving Cessna 401 Pilot Owner

Published 2023-12-01 From National Transportation Safety Board 1 author

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Attribution

This is the abstract and citation. Full text lives at NTSB Aircraft Accident Reports — we link out rather than host. All credit to the authors and National Transportation Safety Board.

Abstract

Verbatim from NTSB Aircraft Accident Reports. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

In-flight breakup of a Cessna 401 over Decatur, GA, July 2018. The NTSB determined that fatigue cracking in the lower spar cap propagated to critical length undetected through the inspection program. Highlights inspection gaps for Continued Airworthiness Maintenance Programs (CAMP) on aging piston twins. Probable cause: in-flight separation of both wings due to fatigue cracking.

Author

National Transportation Safety Board NTSB

Keywords

structural fatigue
aging aircraft
continued airworthiness
piston twin

Citation: National Transportation Safety Board (2023). In-Flight Separation of Wings Involving Cessna 401 Pilot Owner. National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB Aircraft Accident Reports ID AAR-23/04. https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AAR2304.aspx ↗