What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the afternoon of October 15, 2019 at 3:00 pm the pilot of a Luscombe aircraft, N2037B, serial number 6464, was completing a check flight after an annual inspection at Lebanon new hampshire municipal airport (leb). Upon touch down of his third landing on runway 25, the pilot stated a wind gust lifted the right wing turning the aircraft to the left forcing it to depart the runway. He was not able to correct the direction with control input. He added a small amount of power hoping that directional control would respond. That failure resulted in an impact with a drainage ditch adjacent to a grassy area beside the runway causing substantial damage. Pilot stated that his best effort to control the aircraft was insufficient. The weather, in the form of unforeseen wind gusts contributed to the pilot's decision to add power and directional control causing him to lose control of the aircraft resulting in the accident. He felt the accident was pilot error.
During my investigation the following damage was noted: prop strike/propeller bent, right side engine support mount bent, right landing gear bent back, landing gear box frame damaged, right side of cabin fuselage damaged, right side of fuselage behind cabin door damaged, main oleo strut damaged, top of wing separated at spare, right side wheel pant & gear leg severely damaged, left landing gear wheel pant damaged, and right wing tip & end section of wing damaged.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 15, 2019 AT 3:00 PM THE PILOT OF A LUSCOMBE AIRCRAFT, N2037B, SERIAL NUMBER 6464, WAS COMPLETING A CHECK FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AT LEBANON NEW HAMPSHIRE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (LEB). UPON TOUCH DOWN OF HIS THIRD LANDING ON RUNWAY 25, THE PILOT STATED A WIND GUST LIFTED THE RIGHT WING TURNING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT FORCING IT TO DEPART THE RUNWAY. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE DIRECTION WITH CONTROL INPUT. HE ADDED A SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER HOPING THAT DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WOULD RESPOND. THAT FAILURE RESULTED IN AN IMPACT WITH A DRAINAGE DITCH ADJACENT TO A GRASSY AREA BESIDE THE RUNWAY CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PILOT STATED THAT HIS BEST EFFORT TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSUFFICIENT. THE WEATHER, IN THE FORM OF UNFORESEEN WIND GUSTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ADD POWER AND DIRECTIONAL CONTROL CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN THE ACCIDENT. HE FELT THE ACCIDENT WAS PILOT ERROR.
DURING MY INVESTIGATION THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE WAS NOTED: PROP STRIKE/PROPELLER BENT, RIGHT SIDE ENGINE SUPPORT MOUNT BENT, RIGHT LANDING GEAR BENT BACK, LANDING GEAR BOX FRAME DAMAGED, RIGHT SIDE OF CABIN FUSELAGE DAMAGED, RIGHT SIDE OF FUSELAGE BEHIND CABIN DOOR DAMAGED, MAIN OLEO STRUT DAMAGED, TOP OF WING SEPARATED AT SPARE, RIGHT SIDE WHEEL PANT & GEAR LEG SEVERELY DAMAGED, LEFT LANDING GEAR WHEEL PANT DAMAGED, AND RIGHT WING TIP & END SECTION OF WING DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.