What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 23, 2024, at 0845 MST, a Luscombe 8E, silvaire deluxe, performed a ground loop during its landing roll while attempting a touch and go at Truth Or Consequences Municipal Airport (tcs) runway 31. The instrument rated private pilot suffered minor injuries – a cut hand and bruises on his head. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to the wing spar and buckling of the fuselage. The personal flight originated at belen regional airport (brg) in VFR conditions on February 23, 224 at 0745 MST and was enroute to las cruces international airport (lru). No flight plan was filed.
The pilot stated that, based on a wind report of 330/5, he opted to perform a touch and go at tcs and then continue to his destination. He stated that he found his airspeed between that required for a wheel landing as opposed to a 3-point landing. He decided to execute a go around but did not add sufficient power to climb. As he added power, he lost directional control and the aircraft started turning left. He over corrected with right rudder. The aircraft touched down and departed the runway to the right. He applied full braking resulting in a skid that broke the right main gear and flipped the aircraft on its back.
Based on the description of events, the iic feels that the ground loop and accident were due to a lack of the pilot's knowledge base. The addition of power with improper rudder application is attributable to the left turning tendencies associated with gyroscopic precession, torque, and spiraling slipstream. In the confusion, the pilot overcorrected which exacerbated the situation.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 23, 2024, AT 0845 MST, A LUSCOMBE 8E, SILVAIRE DELUXE, PERFORMED A GROUND LOOP DURING ITS LANDING ROLL WHILE ATTEMPTING A TOUCH AND GO AT TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (TCS) RUNWAY 31. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES – A CUT HAND AND BRUISES ON HIS HEAD. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WING SPAR AND BUCKLING OF THE FUSELAGE. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT BELEN REGIONAL AIRPORT (BRG) IN VFR CONDITIONS ON FEBRUARY 23, 224 AT 0745 MST AND WAS ENROUTE TO LAS CRUCES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LRU). NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
THE PILOT STATED THAT, BASED ON A WIND REPORT OF 330/5, HE OPTED TO PERFORM A TOUCH AND GO AT TCS AND THEN CONTINUE TO HIS DESTINATION. HE STATED THAT HE FOUND HIS AIRSPEED BETWEEN THAT REQUIRED FOR A WHEEL LANDING AS OPPOSED TO A 3-POINT LANDING. HE DECIDED TO EXECUTE A GO AROUND BUT DID NOT ADD SUFFICIENT POWER TO CLIMB. AS HE ADDED POWER, HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TURNING LEFT. HE OVER CORRECTED WITH RIGHT RUDDER. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT. HE APPLIED FULL BRAKING RESULTING IN A SKID THAT BROKE THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS BACK.
BASED ON THE DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS, THE IIC FEELS THAT THE GROUND LOOP AND ACCIDENT WERE DUE TO A LACK OF THE PILOT'S KNOWLEDGE BASE. THE ADDITION OF POWER WITH IMPROPER RUDDER APPLICATION IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE LEFT TURNING TENDENCIES ASSOCIATED WITH GYROSCOPIC PRECESSION, TORQUE, AND SPIRALING SLIPSTREAM. IN THE CONFUSION, THE PILOT OVERCORRECTED WHICH EXACERBATED THE SITUATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2669K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.