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It is possible, in that last instant before wanting to hit the runway he could have pull back hard and created a peak load over the 150% structural limit on the wing. Extending the wing with the tip tanks could also increase the moment arm the load has to work on. It sounds like he was fully loaded with people and fuel and near max gross weight. There is also the possibility that he has done this maneuver many times before and over stressed the wing, creating fracture or deformation. This might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
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