What happened
During the initial climb phase following takeoff, the aircraft experienced a sudden and catastrophic structural failure. The left wing became detached from the fuselage while the plane was still ascending. This loss of structural integrity caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable, leading to a high-impact crash. The impact forces, combined with a subsequent post-crash fire, resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There was one fatality involving the pilot, who was the only person on board at the time of the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary cause was the detachment of the left wing due to structural failure. The investigation revealed that fatigue cracks were present within the wing spars. A critical contributing factor was a failure in the maintenance process, as these cracks had been present during a previous inspection but went undetected by maintenance personnel. Ultimately, the presence of undetected fatigue fractures led to the wing folding upward and separating from the aircraft during the climb.