20200409004509I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A · Palm Coast, FL · April 9, 2020

Date
April 9, 2020 · 13:40 local
Place
Palm Coast, FL
Airport
Flagler Executive
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N71965
Reported as
Silvaire Luscombe 8A
Reported engine
Continental C85-12
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot

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.

The pilot stated he had a quartering right tailwind and approximately half way down the taxiway took a gust to the tail. This caused the aircraft to veer to the right. Following this swift left rudder input was given putting the aircraft in a ground loop on taxi. Pilot stated he tried immediately correcting with right rudder and left stick, but the ground loop was fully established with help of the wind. The wingtip never touched the ground. The wing struck a taxiway sign, the spar had no damage. The prop never struck the ground. The gear remained intact. The NTSB was contacted and after communicating with the mechanic the aircraft was approved for repair. Aircraft has since been repaired.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED HE HAD A QUARTERING RIGHT TAILWIND AND APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY DOWN THE TAXIWAY TOOK A GUST TO THE TAIL. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. FOLLOWING THIS SWIFT LEFT RUDDER INPUT WAS GIVEN PUTTING THE AIRCRAFT IN A GROUND LOOP ON TAXI. PILOT STATED HE TRIED IMMEDIATELY CORRECTING WITH RIGHT RUDDER AND LEFT STICK, BUT THE GROUND LOOP WAS FULLY ESTABLISHED WITH HELP OF THE WIND. THE WINGTIP NEVER TOUCHED THE GROUND. THE WING STRUCK A TAXIWAY SIGN, THE SPAR HAD NO DAMAGE. THE PROP NEVER STRUCK THE GROUND. THE GEAR REMAINED INTACT. THE NTSB WAS CONTACTED AND AFTER COMMUNICATING WITH THE MECHANIC THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROVED FOR REPAIR. AIRCRAFT HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED.