Accident Overview
The airplane was conducting a swath run when the right wing buckled, causing the aircraft to roll into a descent and subsequently crash.
Post-Accident Findings
A post-accident examination of the airplane determined that the forward spar fuselage attachment assembly for the right wing had failed. The failure was attributed to fatigue at the clevis ears.
Previous Similar Incident
On September 21, 1991, a Piper PA-25 experienced a similar failure of the wing attachment assembly.
Regulatory Action
On May 13, 1992, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an urgent recommendation to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The recommendation called for an Airworthiness Directive (AD) to require immediate inspections of Piper PA-25 airplanes for corrosion and cracking of the clevis ears. It also mandated repairs if such conditions were found and established periodic inspection requirements to detect cracks before they become critical.
On July 16, 1992, the FAA agreed with the intent of the NTSB recommendation. However, as of the date of this accident, no inspection procedure had been implemented.
Conclusion
No further causal factors were identified beyond the fatigue failure. The accident highlights the structural vulnerability of the wing attachment components, but no additional analysis is provided in the source.