ERIE, CO, USA
UNREG
ULTRALIGHT FLIGHT PHANTOM II
THE ULTRALIGHT DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED TO GROUND IMPACT FOLLOWING A FAILURE OF THE OUTBOARD FORWARD WING SUPPORT CABLE/SWAGE. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ULTRALIGHT TURNED FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND UPON LEVELING OUT, THE LEFT WING SNAPPED UPWARD, THE RIGHT WING COLLAPSED AND THE ULTRALIGHT ENTERED A DIVING TURN TO THE GROUND. POST ACCIDENT TESTS DISCLOSED ALL 4 CABLE ASS'Y WERE MANUFACTURED WITH THE NICROPRESS OVAL M SLEEVE BUT WERE SWAGED WITH THE WRONG SWAGING TOOL (SLIGHTLY LARGER) FOR THE OVAL P. THE CABLE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FAILURE AT THE NICROPRESS SWAGED CONNECTIONS. TENSILE TESTS REVEALED THE IMPROPERLY SWAGED CONNECTIONS FAILED PREMATURELY DUE TO SLIPPAGE AT THE CONNECTIONS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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