# Accident 19980701015539A: Luscom 8A, Chillicothe, MO, July 1, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 1, 1998, 15:18 local time
- Place: Chillicothe, MO
- Airport: Chillicothe Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.7895° N, 93.5494° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7895&lon=-93.5494&mi=10
- Aircraft: N71306, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N71306) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Luscombe 8A (registry code 8190104, https://openairdocs.org/model/luscombe-8a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LUSCOM 8A
- Reported engine: CONT A658
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,078 total, 800 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA232) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980701015539A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO HAND PROP WHEN THE LEFT WHEEL LOCKED UP, ACFT SPUN AROUND AND STRUCK A UTILITY POLE. (-23) PRIOR TO HAND-PROPPING ACFT, PIC SET PARKING BRAKE WHICH ONLY SECURES LEFT WHEEL BRAKE CABLE.  PIC, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, STARTED ENGINE WITH THROTTLE SET TOO HIGH.  ACFT BEGAN TO PIVOT AROUND LEFT WHEEL, AND PIC WAS UNABLE TO ACCESS COCKPIT TO RETARD THROTTLE.  ACFT CONTINUED TO TURN TO THE LEFT IN EVER-INCREASING CIRCLES.  ACFT LEFT THE TARMAC AND ONTO A GRASSY AREA, CONTINUED TO TURN LEFT UNTIL THE RIGHT WING NEAR THE WING ROOT ENCOUNTERED A UTILITY POWER POLE.  IMPACT SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED RT WING, BENT RT LANDING GEAR AND DISTORTED PROPELLER.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Y.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT HE COULDN'T FIND SOMEONE TO ASSIST HIM IN HAND STARTING THE AIRCRAFT, SO HE DECIDED TO PROCEED BY HIMSELF. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE TO START AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS.  THE PILOT ADJUSTED THE THROTTLE, INCREASING IT, AND AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO HAND START THE ENGINE.  THE PILOT STATED THAT ENGINE STARTED, RAN ROUGH FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF ROTATIONS, AND THEN THE RPMS BEGAN TO INCREASE RAPIDLY.  THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO PIVOT AROUND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO ACCESS THE COCKPIT TO RETARD THE THROTTLE.  THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TURN TO THE LEFT, DEPARTED THE TARMAC ONTO A GRASS AREA, UNTIL THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A UTILITY POLE AND GUY WIRE.  POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT HAD FLOWN IN OVER SIX YEARS AND HAD NOT HAD BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW IN OVER 72 MONTHS.  IT WAS ALSO REVEALED THAT THE HAND BRAKE ONLY ENGAGES THE LEFT BRAKE ON THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROTATE ABOUT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI98LA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA232), Jul 1, 1998: Luscombe 8A (N71306), Chillicothe, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: the improper use of the engine starting procedure. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot in command's lack of recent experience, the aircraft not being tied down, the utility pole and…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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