Report: Civilian C337 On FL Mil-Mission Lost Right Wing
Tue, 23 Nov '10
Three Fatally Injured Supporting Military Exercise
A civilian airplane which went down last Wednesday while supporting a military exercise in Central Florida apparently lost its right wing prior to impact according to the NTSB.
In a news conference last last week, NTSB spokesman Ralph Hicks said the right wing was found about and eight of a mile from the impact site. Tampa-area cable news station Bay News 9 reports that Hicks said both engines of the Cessna 337 separated from the fuselage when the aircraft impacted the ground. All three of those on board were fatally injured in the accident.
The accident is still in its preliminary stages. The civilian contractors onboard theaircraft were reportedly assisting in a military air-to-ground communications exercise.
*NOTE*
This makes me wonder if the limitations have been exceeded, and if they were, how many times and to what extent they were?
We don't know anything about the maintenance that the aircraft received, modifications that were made, legal or otherwise. O-2's typically only had two seats installed, so what was the center of gravity loading?