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20020517014419A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Luscom 8E · Olar, SC · May 17, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 17, 2002 · 16:31 local
Place
Olar, SC
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N71344
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL02FA101
Reported as
Luscom 8E
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
N71344Registration cancelled Sep 10, 2002 · Luscombe 8ES/N 2771 · Built 1946Airframe modelLuscombe 8EEngine modelContinental A&C75 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.

(-23) On may 17, 2002, at 1631 EDT, a Luscombe LL-8-E, N71344, registered to a private owner, and operated by the private pilot, collided with terrain following a loss of elevator control in Olar, SC. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14, CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The pilot and passenger received fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated from a private farm strip in Olar, SC, at 1600. Witnesses who observed the accident stated that the airplane was descending in a nose down attitude. They said that they believed the airplane was landing but was very fast. The airplane impacted the field nose down, bounced and came to rest partially inverted. Examination of the wreckage found the airplane impacted the plowed field in a 30-degree nose down attitude, bounced 90 feet and came to rest partially inverted, with the cockpit tucked under the main fuselage. Examination of the flight controls found the elevator control cable attachment fitting separated from the elevator push/pull control rod. The attachment bolt and nut were not located.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 17, 2002, AT 1631 EDT, A LUSCOMBE LL-8-E, N71344, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, AND OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ELEVATOR CONTROL IN OLAR, SC. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE FARM STRIP IN OLAR, SC, AT 1600. WITNESSES WHO OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDING IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THEY SAID THAT THEY BELIEVED THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDING BUT WAS VERY FAST. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE FIELD NOSE DOWN, BOUNCED AND CAME TO REST PARTIALLY INVERTED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE FOUND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE PLOWED FIELD IN A 30-DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, BOUNCED 90 FEET AND CAME TO REST PARTIALLY INVERTED, WITH THE COCKPIT TUCKED UNDER THE MAIN FUSELAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FOUND THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLE ATTACHMENT FITTING SEPARATED FROM THE ELEVATOR PUSH/PULL CONTROL ROD. THE ATTACHMENT BOLT AND NUT WERE NOT LOCATED.

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 ATL02FA101Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportOlar, SCThe in-flight separation of the elevator push-pull control tube that resulted in a loss of flight control and subsequent collision with the ground.May 17, 2002 · Destroyed