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20100618036319A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Luscombe 11A · Merced, CA · June 18, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 18, 2010 · 18:30 local
Place
Merced, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1606B
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR10LA306
Reported as
Luscombe 11A
Reported engine
Continental E165 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
5,425 total37 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days
N1606BRegistration cancelled May 20, 2015 · Luscombe 11AS/N 11-112 · Built 1948Airframe modelLuscombe 11AEngine modelContinental E165 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.

While enroute the pilot stated he felt a "bad vibration from the tail." The pilot was able to look back thru the rear windows and was able to see the elevator trim tab on the left elevator oscillating up and down. He reduced the engine power to lessen the vibration and notice the elevator yoke was in the full back position to maintain straight and level flight. The pilot decided to search for the closest alternate airport using the GPS (global positioning system) receiver, when pilot noticed his GPS display blinking and also noticed a burning smell. The pilot decided to make an off-field airport, which was a major highway. The pilot began to align the airplane with the highway. About 50 feet above the ground, the left main landing gear struck a moving truck. The airplane then shifted to the right side of the highway where the left wing struck a fence pole. The airplane spun 180 degrees from its original direction of travel, and came to rest upright in an adjacent field. Inspection of the aircraft revealed the elevator actuating horn, top attaching hardware (bolt, washer, nut, and safety key) were missing. Also, the elevator trim actuating horn was sheared off from the elevator trim tab.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ENROUTE THE PILOT STATED HE FELT A "BAD VIBRATION FROM THE TAIL." THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LOOK BACK THRU THE REAR WINDOWS AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB ON THE LEFT ELEVATOR OSCILLATING UP AND DOWN. HE REDUCED THE ENGINE POWER TO LESSEN THE VIBRATION AND NOTICE THE ELEVATOR YOKE WAS IN THE FULL BACK POSITION TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT. THE PILOT DECIDED TO SEARCH FOR THE CLOSEST ALTERNATE AIRPORT USING THE GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM) RECEIVER, WHEN PILOT NOTICED HIS GPS DISPLAY BLINKING AND ALSO NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. THE PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE AN OFF-FIELD AIRPORT, WHICH WAS A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THE PILOT BEGAN TO ALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE HIGHWAY. ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A MOVING TRUCK. THE AIRPLANE THEN SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WHERE THE LEFT WING STRUCK A FENCE POLE. THE AIRPLANE SPUN 180 DEGREES FROM ITS ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT IN AN ADJACENT FIELD. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE ELEVATOR ACTUATING HORN, TOP ATTACHING HARDWARE (BOLT, WASHER, NUT, AND SAFETY KEY) WERE MISSING. ALSO, THE ELEVATOR TRIM ACTUATING HORN WAS SHEARED OFF FROM THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB.

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 WPR10LA306Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMerced, CAThe pilot’s inability to maintain airplane control during cruise flight due to the failure of the elevator trim tab as a result of missing hardware for the elevator control cable bellcrank to elevator torque tube attachment bracket.Jun 19, 2010 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N1606B · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20010518010009AForced Landing · Apple Valley, CA(.19)On may 18, 2001, at 1351 hours pacific daylight time, a Luscombe 11A, N1606B, sustained substantial damage when it made a forced landing near Apple Valley, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power during cruise. The…May 18, 2001 · Substantial damage