Accident
Witnesses reported hearing the sound of an aircraft with the engine operating at high RPM. Shortly thereafter, they observed the aircraft in a left spin with the engine remaining at full power. The aircraft continued spinning until it crashed and caught fire. During the descent, witnesses noted that approximately 3 feet of the outboard portion of the left wing had failed but remained attached to the aircraft.
Investigation
Examination of the wreckage confirmed that the left wing tip had failed prior to impact. The fire damage was so extensive that the mode of failure could not be determined; however, evidence indicated that the left wing tip had failed upward and aft.
Further investigation revealed that the aircraft had been blown inverted on November 23, 1983, by strong winds. At that time, the left wing tip was broken, a wing rib was crushed, and the rudder, vertical stabilizer, propeller, and right wing strut were damaged. No entries had been made in the aircraft logbooks since the annual inspection on August 15, 1983. The extent of the repairs performed to address the wind damage could not be determined.