Amateur-built EIPPER MX II accident near Newport, Washington, June 30, 1997
On June 30, 1997 at about 2:15 am local time, a amateur-built EIPPER MX II, registered N15TJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newport, Washington. 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 owner/builder to adequately inspect his homebuilt aircraft, which subsequently led to the failure of the right wing lift cable attach bolt and resulted in the collapse of the right wing during flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1997 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Newport, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EIPPER MX II EIPPER MX
- Registration
- N15TJ · no longer on the register · serial 1503
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying his friends and family on numerous flights in his homebuilt airplane on the day of the accident. During the final flight, the pilot and and a passenger climbed to 3,000 feet above ground level (agl) and began an intentional spiraling descent. During the descent, and about 1,500 feet agl, the right wing collapsed at a point located about 5 feet outboard from the cabin area. The airplane began an uncontrolled descent and the pilot deployed his ballistic parachute system. The airplane settled onto trees and both occupants were uninjured. The pilot reported that the bolt holding the right lower trailing edge wing lift cable had failed, and that the bolt was not AN hardware like the bolts that held the other lift and drag cables. An examination of the maintenance records revealed that the airplane had been built and maintained by the pilot. About one year prior to the accident, the pilot logged that he had performed a condition inspection, and that the airplane was safe for flight.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 894 hours in all; 167 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 819 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 3, 1996; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 07S Deer Park WA at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from SFF, 30 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.
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.