Amateur-built CIRRUS VK-30 accident near Lapeer, Michigan, June 3, 1996
On June 3, 1996 at about 6:55 pm local time, a amateur-built CIRRUS VK-30, registered N7033G, was destroyed in an accident near Lapeer, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
incomplete cure of the bonding material in the cruise flap, improper material in the cruise flap hinge, and improper welding of the cruise flap push rod end caps. Factors were delamination of the cruise flap, partial failure of the cruise flap hinge, and fatigue failure of the outboard cruise flap push rod.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 1996 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Lapeer, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CIRRUS VK-30 CIRRUS VK-
- Registration
- N7033G · registry record · serial 117
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to witnesses, the accident pilot reported on Unicom that his 'flap bracket had broken.' A pilot who was on the ground near the accident site reported that he observed a 'violent flutter' on the right wing. Examination of the right flap revealed the inboard flap push rod was fractured at the end cap. The push rod welds exhibited 'porosity and secondary cracking indicative of poor welding techniques.' The inboard cruise flap push rod 'exhibited a thumbnail crack, which may have indicated failure by high stress, low cycle fatigue.' The outboard cruise flap hinge was fractured. Examination revealed the hinge was constructed entirely of composite material. The kit manufacturers drawings specify an aluminum core for the hinge. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis of the composite cruise flap skin revealed the vinyl ester matrix material was 'not fully cured.'
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,550 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 65 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: D95 at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.