Originally Posted by
India Four Two
Hmm, I fly Pawnee tow-planes regularly. I'm going to be looking into the AD history of the ones I fly!
An energetic pullup after a high speed pass (Probably at VNE) produces high loads that may well exceed the structural strenght of the longeron. Hence the failure. I would reckon this pullup would be in the 4G's + range, and may not have been the first one with this aircraft.