What happened
On August 24, 2011, during periodic inspections conducted at the OKL Politechniki Rzeszowskiej technical base at Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, maintenance personnel identified structural discrepancies in the aircraft fleet. Specifically, the inspections revealed unacceptable amounts of play in the rear fittings of the wing-to-fuselage connections on the truss section of the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the operator, focused on the structural integrity of the Liberty XL-2 aircraft used for flight training. The inquiry examined the condition of the wing attachment points across the fleet to determine the extent of the mechanical looseness and to identify the source of the structural instability.
Findings
- The investigation established that the primary cause of the incident was a manufacturing error by the aircraft manufacturer.
- The issue was identified during routine maintenance, preventing a potential in-flight structural failure.
- Following the discovery, the operator performed detailed measurements of the wing-to-fuselage connections on aircraft with registrations SP-TZA, SP-TZD, and SP-TZE.
- Aircraft with registrations SP-TZB and SP-TZC were identified as requiring repairs and were sent for warranty-based maintenance.