- Date
- April 15, 2007, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chippewa Falls, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N28428Luscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Milwaukee FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070415832229A
- Case key
- 65663
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 intentionally leaving the airplane unoccupied during the engine start, which resulted in the unoccupied airplane traversing into a cornfield. A factor was the rough/uneven cornfield.
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
The unoccupied airplane nosed over in a cornfield shortly after the pilot hand-propped the engine. The pilot reported that he had chocked both main landing gear, but there was no one at the aircraft controls during the engine start. Upon engine startup, the engine rpm "increased rapidly" before he had enough time to enter the airplane. The airplane reportedly "climbed over the chocks and started moving" and then traversed into a corn field before nosing over. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had secured the tailwheel with a tie-down for engine start.
Factual narrative
The unoccupied airplane nosed over in a cornfield shortly after the pilot hand-propped the engine. The pilot reported that he had chocked both main landing gear, but there was no one at the aircraft controls during the engine start. Upon engine startup, the engine rpm "increased rapidly" before he had enough time to enter the airplane. The airplane reportedly "climbed over the chocks and started moving" and then traversed into a corn field before nosing over. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had secured the tailwheel with a tie-down for engine start.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28428
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1295
- Airframe hours
- 2,848
- Engine
- Continental A85-B, 86 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2006
- Departed
- 3W19 · Chippewa Falls, WI
- Airport
- 3WI9 · Rosenbaum Field Aiport
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2005
- Flight hours
- 410 total · 16 in this make and model · 410 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- EAU, 9 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 N28428 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.