FOR IMMEDIATE USE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

BUREAU OF AIR COMMERCE

Washington

REPORT OF THE ACCIDENT BOARD BUREAU OF AIR COMMERCE

Statement of probable cause concerning an accident which occurred to a privately owned airplane near Lamar, Colorado, on May 2, 1935.

To the Director of Air Commerce.

On May 2, 1935 at approximately 12.15 p.m., six miles west of Lamar, Colorado, a privately owned airplane crashed with resultant death to the pilot and the complete destruction of the aircraft.

The pilot, Terry A. Hatchett, held a Department of Commerce student pilot’s license. The airplane, an Alexander Flyabout, model D-2, bore Department of Commerce license number NC-l4428.

The airplane took off from the airport at Lamar, Colorado, on an intended cross-country flight to Pueblo, Colorado. While flying about six miles west of the airport and at an altitude of approximately 400 feet. the right wing was observed to fold backward and upward and then tear completely free of the airplane. This threw the airplane over on its back, from which position it dropped practically vertically to the ground. The right wing was found approximately 100 feet from the airplane.

Investigation disclosed that the right front lift strut failed near the welded fitting on the outer end, causing the complete collapse of the wing truss system on that side. The part in question was subjected to a metallurgical examination by the National Bureau of Standards and found to be defective.

It is the opinion of the accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was structural failure of the right wing bracing system.

Respectfully submitted,

ACCIDENT BOARD

Jesse W. Lankford, Chief, Safety Section

(Secretary)

Richard C. Gazley, Chief Engineer,

Manufacturing Inspection Service

Joe T. Shumate, Jr.,

Chief, General Inspection Service.

No recommendations are being made by the Accident Board due to the fact that an inspection of all of the remaining models D-l and D-2 airplanes of this company, with the exception of one which could not be located for inspection, failed to indicate a similar defect.

The manufacturer has been advised concerning the cause of this defect and appropriate action has been taken to prevent its recurrence.