Amateur-built SEA HAWK accident near Marengo, Illinois, November 24, 1995
On November 24, 1995 at about 8:15 pm local time, a amateur-built SEA HAWK, registered N391SP, was destroyed in an accident near Marengo, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the upper right wing due to the presence of unbonded areas between the spar cap and the bidirectional fiberglass. The unbonded areas were due to the inadequate manufacturing of the airplane by the owner/builder. A factor in the accident was the inadequate design by the kit manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 1995 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marengo, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SEA HAWK
- Registration
- N391SP · registry record · serial 36
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that approximately 10 minutes into the flight a 'thump' was heard from the right rear of the airplane. He stated that besides a slight list to the right, he did not notice anything unusual with the airplane's flying characteristics. He decided to make a precautionary landing after noticing a rapid depletion of indicated fuel quantity on the upper wing tank gauge. After landing, the pilot and passenger exited the airplane and realized the airplane's upper right wing had departed the airplane. A fire started and consumed the entire airplane. The wing was found 7/8 mile from the resting point of the airplane. Examination of the failed upper right wing, revealed the wing had failed due to compression failure. The investigation also revealed that the failure was due to the presence of unbonded areas between the spar cap and the bidirectional fiberglass that secures the web to the cap. It is not possible to inspect these areas because they are not accessible after construction.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,325 hours in all; 178 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 3,197 as pilot in command; 2,870 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 178 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 1995; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A3B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: C77 Belvidere IL at 7:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from RFD, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N391SP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.