20130102000069A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Luscombe 8A · Oceano, CA · January 2, 2013

Date: January 2, 2013 · 04:05 local
Place: Oceano, CA
Airport: Oceano
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N45923
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13FA083
Reported as: Luscombe 8A
Reported engine: Continental A&C65 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,000 total1,500 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N45923Registration cancelled Oct 9, 2014 · Luscombe 8AS/N 2450 · Built 1946 Airframe modelLuscombe 8A Engine modelContinental A&C65 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.

Pilot was observed operating his aircraft below 500 foot AGL buzzing beach area for several hours. At approximately 4 p.m. another observer reported aircraft descended abruptly to around 150 to 200 feet above dunes, then turned downwards at a 60 degree angle and impacted the ground. The aircraft was distroyed and the pilot fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS OBSERVED OPERATING HIS AIRCRAFT BELOW 500 FOOT AGL BUZZING BEACH AREA FOR SEVERAL HOURS. AT APPROXIMATELY 4 P.M. ANOTHER OBSERVER REPORTED AIRCRAFT DESCENDED ABRUPTLY TO AROUND 150 TO 200 FEET ABOVE DUNES, THEN TURNED DOWNWARDS AT A 60 DEGREE ANGLE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISTROYED AND THE PILOT FATALLY INJURED.

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 WPR13FA083Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportOceano, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control and his improper decision to begin a low-level maneuver at an altitude that was not sufficient for recovery before ground impact. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment from marijuana use.Jan 3, 2013 · Substantial damage