19991226045039A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Luscom 8A · Gualala, CA · December 26, 1999

Date
December 26, 1999 · 13:30 local
Place
Gualala, CA
Airport
Ocean Ridge Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N45886
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA057
Reported as
Luscom 8A
Reported engine
Continental C9012F
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
255 total137 in this make and model33 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) privacy data omittedstalled the a/c on takeoff. Right wing struck ground first. A/c ground looped. privacy data omittedWas attempting to depart Q69, Ocean Ridge Airport, Gualala, CA. (.4)on December 26, 1999, about 1330 hours pacific standard time, a Luscombe 8A, N45886, owned and operated by the pilot, descended back to the ground during the takeoff initial climb from the Ocean Ridge Airport, Gualala, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the personal flight, which was being performed under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The airplane was substantially damaged upon impacting terrain on the airport. Neither the private pilot nor passenger was injured. The cross-country flight was originating at the time of the accident as a flight to sonoma, California. The manager of the uncontrolled airport witnessed the accident. He reported that the airplane lifted off from runway 13, and thereafter it appeared to stall. The airplane rolled left, impacted terrain, and cartwheeled. The pilot had previously soloed from the sonoma skypark airport. Copies of records provided by the pilot indicated that on June 22, 1999, his stu dent pilot certificate was endorsed by a flight instructor authorizing solo flight in the Luscombe 8A. The student did not provide any logbook evidence indicating he had been authorized to solo from the Ocean Ridge Airport. The pilot's student certificate did not bear an endorsement for solo cross-country flight. The student's last 90-DAY logbook endorsement authorizing solo flight was date juen 22, 1999.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA^STALLED THE A/C ON TAKEOFF. RIGHT WING STRUCK GROUND FIRST. A/C GROUND LOOPED. ^PRIVACY DATA^WAS ATTEMPTING TO DEPART Q69, OCEAN RIDGE AIRPORT, GUALALA, CA. (.4)ON DECEMBER 26, 1999, ABOUT 1330 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A LUSCOMBE 8A, N45886, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, DESCENDED BACK TO THE GROUND DURING THE TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB FROM THE OCEAN RIDGE AIRPORT, GUALALA, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH WAS BEING PERFORMED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED UPON IMPACTING TERRAIN ON THE AIRPORT. NEITHER THE PRIVATE PILOT NOR PASSENGER WAS INJURED. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AS A FLIGHT TO SONOMA, CALIFORNIA. THE MANAGER OF THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT. HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF FROM RUNWAY 13, AND THEREAFTER IT APPEARED TO STALL. THE AIRPLANE ROLLED LEFT, IMPACTED TERRAIN, AND CARTWHEELED. THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY SOLOED FROM THE SONOMA SKYPARK AIRPORT. COPIES OF RECORDS PROVIDED BY THE PILOT INDICATED THAT ON JUNE 22, 1999, HIS STU DENT PILOT CERTIFICATE WAS ENDORSED BY A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AUTHORIZING SOLO FLIGHT IN THE LUSCOMBE 8A. THE STUDENT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY LOGBOOK EVIDENCE INDICATING HE HAD BEEN AUTHORIZED TO SOLO FROM THE OCEAN RIDGE AIRPORT. THE PILOT'S STUDENT CERTIFICATE DID NOT BEAR AN ENDORSEMENT FOR SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE STUDENT'S LAST 90-DAY LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENT AUTHORIZING SOLO FLIGHT WAS DATE JUEN 22, 1999.

NTSB investigation

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