Primary finding
Probable cause
A hard landing that resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s right wing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During a maintenance event, a mechanic was asked to evaluate damage to the airplane’s right wing. Further inspection of the right wing and its internal components revealed that the rear wing spar was cracked, and several wing skin rivets had sheared. The right wing strut and right main landing gear strut were also bent. The flight club that operated the airplane reported that 22 pilots had flown the airplane in the recent past and no pilot admitted to any significant event during landing. The substantial damage to the right wing was likely the result of a hard landing; however, due to the several flights flown with the damage, the investigation was not able to determine a specific flight during which the hard landing may have occurred.