What happened
On 31 May 2003, at approximately 16:50 UTC, a Ryan M1/M2 NYP (registration ES-XCL) was performing a private flying display at Coventry Airport. The aircraft, a 1997 replica of the historic Spirit of St Louis, had recently departed from Runway 23. While the pilot was climbing and performing gentle manoeuvres to initiate the display sequence, the right wing experienced a significant structural failure. This caused the aircraft to descend rapidly into an industrial area adjacent to the airfield. The pilot sustained fatal injuries following the impact.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage of the ES-XCL to determine the sequence of the structural collapse. The inspection revealed that the outboard section of a tubular steel wishbone strut had failed during flight. This specific component is responsible for supporting both the upper portion of the right landing gear shock-strut and the lower end of the forward right wing strut. The investigation established that the failure was caused by fatigue cracking within the steel strut.
This initial failure caused the landing gear, shock strut, and the lower end of the forward lift strut to move upward and outward. This movement created a levering effect, where the side of the shock strut made contact with the right wheel rim. This contact fractured the axle, leading to the separation of the wheel from the aircraft. The resulting displacement of the wing strut placed an immediate overload on the wooden forward spar at its fuselage attachment point, causing it to fail. This triggered a secondary failure of the remaining inboard wing structure as the forward wing section twisted upward and rearward.