ATL04LA032

NTSB accident investigation · Luscombe 8F · Lawrenceburg, TN · November 1, 2003

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
November 1, 2003, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
Place
Lawrenceburg, TN
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N9929CLuscombe 8F
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 24, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Nashville FSDO-03
FAA report
20031101037599A
Case key
58272

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Probable cause

The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control on landing rollout resulting in the airplane veering to the right and collapsing the left main landing gear with a side load.

Analysis

The pilot stated he entered the traffic pattern for runway 17 at Lawrence County Airport, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The prevailing winds were calm as the pilot made a 3-point landing on the runway. On the landing roll out, a gust of wind picked up the left wing and the airplane veered to the right. He put in opposite rudder correction but lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane continued to the right, collapsed the left main landing gear with a side load, and the left wing collided with the runway. No wind gusts were being reported at the time of the accident.

Factual narrative

On November 1, 2003, at 1300 central standard time, a Luscombe 8F, N9929C, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collapsed the left main landing gear on landing roll at Lawrence County Airport, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage. The private pilot and private pilot rated passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated from Lewisburg, Tennessee, on November 1, 2003, at 1230.

The pilot stated he entered the traffic pattern for runway 17 at Lawrence County Airport, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The winds were calm and he made a 3-point landing to the runway. On the landing roll out, a gust of wind lifted the left wing up and the airplane started veering to the right. The put in opposite rudder correction and lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane continued to the right, collapsed the left main landing gear with a side load, and the left wing collided with the runway. The airplane came to a stop. The pilot and the passenger exited the airplane and observed the left wing spar had been bent upward.

The nearest weather reporting facility at the time of the accident was Nashville International Airport, Nashville, Tennessee. No gust were being reported at the time of the accident.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Gear collapsedLanding - roll
Landing gear,main gear - overload

Aircraft

Registration
N9929C
Reported as
Luscombe 8F
Category
Airplane
Serial number
S-33
Airframe hours
1,378
Engine
Continental C-90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Gary J. Wolf
Registered owner
Lynn Wolf
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 12, 2003 · 32 hours before
Departed
LUG · Lewisburg, TN
Destination
2M2 · Lawrenceburg, TN
Airport
2M2 · Lawrence County Airport, runway 17, 5,003 × 100 ft, asphalt

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
54
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
March 27, 2003
Seat
Left
Flight hours
605 total · 21 in this make and model · 527 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
170° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
79 °F, dew point 57 °F
Altimeter
30.26 inHg
Observed at
BNA, 72 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N9929C · 1

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