Explorer Aeronautique Inc. Ecoflyer accident near Lebanon, New York, April 27, 2009
On April 27, 2009 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Explorer Aeronautique Inc. Ecoflyer, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered CIOFL, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Lebanon, New York. 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
The in-flight separation of the left wing due to failure of one of the inboard attachments to the fuselage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2009 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lebanon, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Explorer Aeronautique Inc. Ecoflyer, amateur-built
- Registration
- CIOFL · no longer on the register · serial CQS08R1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was the designer and manufacturer of the experimental accident airplane, a prototype that he intended to begin producing and selling. He had flown to an aircraft trade show to display the airplane and was returning to his home airport when he encountered turbulent winds. He landed at a nearby airport and then departed again about 2 hours later. Approximately 15 minutes after departure, the left wing separated from the airplane. Postaccident examination of portions of the composite left wing, left wing strut, and tubular metal undercarriage revealed the separation of the left wing likely initiated at the inboard attachments to the fuselage. The structure of the left wing fractured around the aluminum plates connecting the spar to the strut, allowing the strut and wing to separate. At the upper end of the left wing strut, the protruding aluminum bar stock and the two aluminum plates connecting it to the wing spar were bent down and forward. The steel plates connecting the inboard end of the bar stock to the lower fuselage frame had residual deformation showing displacement aft and nose-down twisting, with some cracking in the welds. The bar stock adjacent to the fracture retained residual deformation indicating that the fracture occurred under downward bending at the outboard end. The steel plates connecting the bottom end of the right strut to the lower fuselage frame had residual deformation showing displacement forward and nose-down twisting. Additionally, the construction of the undercarriage displayed several areas susceptible to fatigue cracking, including holes drilled through the metal undercarriage tubes. The foreign airworthiness certification process for the airplane required no inspection, other than self-certification from the pilot/manufacturer, prior to issuance of an airworthiness certificate.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft structural failure during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Attach fittings (on wing) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Explorer Aeronautique Inc
The flight
- Departed from: OIC Norwich NY at 8:30 pm
- Destination: CYRQ Trois-Rivieres
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from SYR, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.