At about 0730 mountain time, a Fisher Celebrity biplane suffered a wing separation near Chandler, killing the pilot and passenger. A witness who was building the same type of airplane said the pilot bought the airplane eight months earlier but had not received original construction plans with it, so he would contact the witness with questions about the airplane. Three weeks before the accident the pilot told the witness the airplanes wing fabric was delaminating. About four days later the accident pilot called the witness and told him he had spoken to the factory about the problem. He also said he had washed the airplane and it looked a lot better. The witness offered the accident pilot some leftover fabric from his own kit and assistance in making the repair, but the repairs were never made. A witness to the accident said she saw the airplane flying close to the ground with one of the wings parallel to the fuselage. As she watched, the nose dropped, the wings folded and the airplane crashed.
June 08, Chandler, Ariz. / Fisher Celebrity
At about 0730 mountain time, a Fisher Celebrity biplane suffered a wing separation near Chandler, killing the pilot and passenger. A witness who was building the same type of airplane said the pilot bought the airplane eight months earlier but had not received original construction plans with it, so he would contact the witness with questions about the airplane. Three weeks before the accident the pilot told the witness the airplanes wing fabric was delaminating. About four days later the accident pilot called the witness and told him he had spoken to the factory about the problem. He also said he had washed the airplane and it looked a lot better. The witness offered the accident pilot s...
Key Takeaways:
- A Fisher Celebrity biplane crashed, killing two occupants, due to a wing separation near Chandler.
- The pilot had reported wing fabric delamination weeks before the accident, attempted a partial fix (washing), but did not complete necessary repairs despite an offer of assistance.
- The pilot purchased the plane without original construction plans and frequently consulted another builder about its specifics.
- An eyewitness observed one of the wings already parallel to the fuselage just before the airplane folded and crashed.
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