- Date
- February 28, 1985, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Suches, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N71877Luscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 6751
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
After takeoff in mountainous terrain pilot used shallow climb on course. Pilot stated he failed to climb to a suitable altitude. When first ridge was cleared a downdraft was encountered. Pilot made 180 degree turn but was unable to climb above terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71877
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3304
- Airframe hours
- 1,563
- Engine
- Continental 65-8F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- George Aimone
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 1984
- Departed
- 46A · Blairsville, GA
- Destination
- 8A9 · Atlanta, GA
- Airport
- Unknown
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,581 total · 133 in this make and model · 2,259 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
Other investigations on N71877 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.