Wing Attachment Bracket Failed In Flight Resulting In A Fatal Injury In July

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board has issued a letter to Transport Canada concerning the in-flight breakup of a Quad City Challenger II Advance Ultralight aircraft that resulted in the fatal injury of the pilot in July.

According to the letter, which was posted online by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, the TSB determined that the bracket securing the right front lift strut to the fuselage failed while in flight as the result of metal fatigue. The failure caused the right wing to separate from the aircraft.

According to the report, the bracket had accumulated 402.2 hours when the failure occurred. The fatigue crack began at the bolt hole, and a "significant number" of secondary and parallel cracks were found underneath the surface of the bracket.

In the letter, the TSB says it is in the process of examining a number of strut attachment brackets from other Quad city Challenger II aircraft. So far, 22 brackets have been examined and eight have been found to have cracks. The time in service of the cracked brackets ranges from 41 to 830 hours, according to the letter.

The TSB said in the letter that it "encourages your organization to take the necessary steps to reduce the likelihood that the bracket failure identified in this occurrence reoccurs. The TSB would appreciate being advised of any action that is taken in this regard."

(Image from file)

FMI: COPA