A Sivana with a bent wing.

[facthunter]

The wing tip area is very lightly loaded that is correct and the  spar would normally taper off to almost nothing in that region, if the design was  sophisticated. Often for simplicity it doesn't. It's still necessary to check  the wing attach points and strut end regions. where something abnormal has happened. Where a skin is attached to a spar it will crease if the spar is  distorted at that point. This still needs a specialist to check as all planes differ. A metal plane is probably one of the easiest to inspect, but all planes are  worthy of care as they aren't built like a war tank. or they can't fly.  It's the hidden damage that will catch you, or the next person, out. Nev

 

 

[NotSoSuperSonic]

I was aware of the choice I was making. I should have said something at the time and am sorry I didn’t. 

Yeah, they won't let you sit with the cool kids now.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

There are 2 checks needed, and I reckon they would have been done:

 

 1:  Is the tip twisted? This would require an incidence check, which could be done with a "U" tube between the leading and trailing edges. 

 

( it would be instantly obvious if there were a problem here, the aircraft would have an effective extra aileron)

 

 2: Is the tip structurally sound? This would be by inspection ( any stressed rivets etc ) and by applying a load, such as by lifting on the tip appropriately.

 

 

[Pearo]

Maybe post some photo's? I have rejected aircraft that LAME's have passed. At the end of the day, its my life not the LAME's.

 

 

[Yenn]

If the origin of this story is correct, it would definitely need checking out. Not just for spar damage, but also for aileron operation. If it is not correct it should not have been posted. When I read posts by people on forums, I also have a look at how they speak. If the language looks incorrect, then maybe the whole story is incorrect and possibly just a case of wooly thinking.

 

I would certainly think twice about flying with an instructor in a plane with 18" of bent wingtip, unless he could give me chapter and verse of what happened.