- Date
- July 31, 2013, 13:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Ellinwood, KS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N45957Luscombe 8A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20130731016109A
- Case key
- 87642
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 pilot failed to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he lost directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll. The airplane encountered soft ground conditions when it reached the shoulder of the runway. The airplane went into the adjoining field and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the airplane before the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he lost directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll. The airplane encountered soft ground conditions when it reached the shoulder of the runway. The airplane went into the adjoining field and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the airplane before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45957
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2484
- Airframe hours
- 1,842
- Engine
- Cont Motor A65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael Yagel
- Registered owner
- Milsap Ray F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 4, 2012
- Departed
- 1K6 · Ellinwood, KS
- Destination
- 1K6 · Ellinwood, KS
- Airport
- 1K6 · Ellinwood Airport, runway 35, 2,550 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 136 total · 136 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Observed at
- GBD
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.