Valley Adventurers, Inc. ADVENTURER 333 accident near Fond Du Lac, WI
On August 5, 1997, a Valley Adventurers, Inc. ADVENTURER 333 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fond Du Lac, WI. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 5, 1997
- Place
- Fond Du Lac, WI
- Aircraft
- Valley Adventurers, Inc. ADVENTURER 333 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.769°N, 88.439°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X08564
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 5, 1997, about 0945 central daylight time, an amateur built Adventurer 333, N323VA, suffered an in-flight separation of both wings and the empennage prior to impacting the terrain, in a swamp, about five miles northwest of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. The airplane was destroyed. The airline transport rated pilot sustained fatal injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 0930. The destination was unknown. The airplane had been on display at the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 14 miles north of the accident site, for several days prior to the accident flight. It was determined that no flights of the airplane had occurred in the intervening period between the arrival at Oshkosh and the accident flight. The flight initiated on the day of the accident was for the purpose of returning the airplane to Arkansas. Several witnesses to the flight of the accident airplane were interviewed. None of those witnesses indicated that they either observed the airplane prior to or at the time of the in-flight separation, nor to the impact in the swamp. The witness statements are attached as an addendum to this report, and included in the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's report. Some witnesses described seeing the airplane descend in pieces and heard the engine "sputtering." At least one witness said she thought the pieces might be the wings. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, born September 27, 1928, w
Probable cause
The kit manufacturer's use of inadequate material in construction of the airplane, his inadequate application of quality controls resulting in the debonding of the horizontal stabilizer. Factors were the total loss of the horizontal stabilizer, the elevator, the rudder, both wings, and a partial loss of the vertical stabilizer, and wing struts.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
