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G factor is lift divided by weight. He suddenly dropped lots of weight. But the Pawnee is made for doing that: dropping agriculture chemicals, a crop duster. But apparently he also suddenly gave up elevator instead of trying to continue level. Because of the trees in the area? Or was it a weak wing joint?

I'd guess there was a structural issue with that aircraft. Those guys typically know how to fly those things without ripping the wings off. May he rest in peace.

Blancolirio already did a great explanation of this, and yes it looks like a perfectly functioning aircraft was pushed beyond it's limits, it dropped 1500 pounds of water as the pilot pulled back on the yoke, the weight transfer and G-Forces on the fuselage caused it to buckle, it wasn't the wings that failed it was the aircraft structure that failed, therefore pilot error.

If you watch water bombers they maintain level flight as they drop water for this reason, the rapid weight loss is causing stress on the aircraft so you cannot do any high maneuver when dropping water or weight, same for WW2 Bombers maintaining level flight while dropping bombs

 

Edited September 6, 20232 yr by Matthew Kane

1 hour ago, FBW737 said:

Those guys typically know how to fly those things without ripping the wings off. 

Same thing when they are crop spraying they are maintaining level flight while spraying, in the video he was dropping 1500 pounds of water rapidly and pulled up, that causes the aircraft to stress beyond it's limits and a crop sprayer wasn't designed to do that

As I learn from MSFS, farmland is usually flat, but urban areas are a forest of trees (LOL). I wonder if gender reveal parties should be moved out into the flatlands, if crop dusters and fire fighting planes are employed to do the announcement.

Or maybe the trees did not matter here, it's hard for me to get a good view.

What is a gender reveal party?

21 minutes ago, Ron Attwood said:

What is a gender reveal party?

Off the grid, Ron?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_reveal_party

I was under the impression it was illegal in public. In the UK it's called flashing. Anyway, that's by the by. Shame someone died over it.

Not sure what would be illegal about a gender reveal party in general, however, I do think the idea has become a bit silly and the apparent need to come up with something more dramatic has gotten well out of hand. This wasn't the first plane to crash at gender reveal party either.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/dead-plane-crashes-gender-reveal-stunt-mexico/story?id=76824951

Earlier this summer a brushfire was started in BC (the province that's been dealing with fires all summer) thanks to one of these parties.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/gender-reveal-party-sparks-b-c-brushfire-1.6465659

15 hours ago, goates said:

Not sure what would be illegal about a gender reveal party in general,

You've missed the double entendre.

Note to self: Must give up humour.

57 minutes ago, Ron Attwood said:

You've missed the double entendre.

Note to self: Must give up humour.

This guy?

 

On 9/6/2023 at 5:16 AM, Matthew Kane said:

it dropped 1500 pounds of water as the pilot pulled back on the yoke, the weight transfer and G-Forces on the fuselage caused it to buckle, it wasn't the wings that failed it was the aircraft structure that failed, therefore pilot error.

 

Pilot error, but isn't that an accident waiting to happen if the aircraft can't handle a simultaneous dump plus up elevator? Isn't it an aircraft not fit for purpose? 

39 minutes ago, martin-w said:

 

Pilot error, but isn't that an accident waiting to happen if the aircraft can't handle a simultaneous dump plus up elevator? Isn't it an aircraft not fit for purpose? 

When dropping heavy loads they, and water bombers, will keep straight and level, or only make small adjustments.

 

18 minutes ago, goates said:

When dropping heavy loads they, and water bombers, will keep straight and level, or only make small adjustments.

 

I know, but as this accident demonstrates, human beings are fallible, in addition, unusual emergency circumstances do happen where such elevator inputs might be required. In my opinion, if an aircraft is designed to dump heavy loads, then maybe it should be structurally capable of handling a simple elevator input. 

15 minutes ago, martin-w said:

 

I know, but as this accident demonstrates, human beings are fallible, in addition, unusual emergency circumstances do happen where such elevator inputs might be required. In my opinion, if an aircraft is designed to dump heavy loads, then maybe it should be structurally capable of handling a simple elevator input. 

I'm not sure I would take one accident where the plane looks to have been flown outside of its design limits to be an indicator it wasn't designed properly. It can handle some elevator input when dropping heavy loads, but not a full deflection. You should also note that this was an emergency dump from the plane where all ~1,200lbs of water and dye was released at once, whereas most times a crop duster is spraying smaller amounts over a longer duration so wouldn't be quite so constrained. This case looks like the plane was being flown at the edge of the design limits, and was pushed over. An additional detail the investigators will likely look into is whether there was any corrosion in the plane structure which was the subject of an AD for these aircraft.