PZL-Mielec MD-12 crash, Sep 17, 1963 (5 killed), Białobrz...
PZL-Mielec MD-12 accident on September 17, 1963 near Białobrzegi Masovian Voivodeship (Mazowieckie), Poland with 5 fatalities. Cause: A fatigue crack...
- Date: September 17, 1963
- Aircraft: PZL-Mielec MD-12
- Location: Białobrzegi Masovian Voivodeship (Mazowieckie), Poland
- Fatalities: 5
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: A fatigue crack in a spar wall reduced the stiffness of the horizontal stabilizer, which failed in flight.
The first prototype of the PZL Mielec MD 12, registered SP PAL, lost its tail surface in flight during a test flight on 17 September 1963, entered an inverted spin and crashed near Bialobrzegi. All five people on board were killed, including two test pilots. The investigation found a fatigue crack in a spar wall of the horizontal stabilizer.