19961124036289A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Luscom 8A · Indian Trail, NC · November 24, 1996

Date: November 24, 1996 · 14:00 local
Place: Indian Trail, NC
Airport: Mint Hill-Matthews Airport
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N1378K
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97LA029
Reported as: Luscom 8A
Fatal injuries: 0

N1378KRegistered now · Luscombe 8AS/N 4105 · Built 1946 Airframe modelLuscombe 8A Engine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft ran off the runway on landing. (-23) aircraft was landing on runway 4. It touched down approximately one third of the way down the runway. As the tailwheel came down the aircraft started turning left. The pilot tried to counter it by adding right rudder and aileron. The pilot stated he added power to go around and as the aircraft departed the left side of the runway, it was slightly airborne and it's heading was approximately aligned with the runway. The aircraft's left wing then hit a tree which swung it to the left, which caused the propeller and right wing to hit trees. Being the aircraft had been airborne, it slid down the trees and came to rest in the pond that the trees were located on. The pilot and passenger escaped without injury. The aircraft received damage to it's wings, struts, propeller, landing gear, fuselage, and tail section. The damage is substantial.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE RUNWAY ON LANDING. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 4. IT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY ONE THIRD OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. AS THE TAILWHEEL CAME DOWN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TURNING LEFT. THE PILOT TRIED TO COUNTER IT BY ADDING RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON. THE PILOT STATED HE ADDED POWER TO GO AROUND AND AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, IT WAS SLIGHTLY AIRBORNE AND IT'S HEADING WAS APPROXIMATELY ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING THEN HIT A TREE WHICH SWUNG IT TO THE LEFT, WHICH CAUSED THE PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING TO HIT TREES. BEING THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE, IT SLID DOWN THE TREES AND CAME TO REST IN THE POND THAT THE TREES WERE LOCATED ON. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED DAMAGE TO IT'S WINGS, STRUTS, PROPELLER, LANDING GEAR, FUSELAGE, AND TAIL SECTION. THE DAMAGE IS SUBSTANTIAL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97LA029Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCharlotte, NCfailure of the pilot maintain directional control of the aircraft, while landing. The proximity of trees was a related factor.Nov 24, 1996 · Substantial damage