- Date
- June 15, 2007, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2850KLuscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070615010329A
- Case key
- 66136
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's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, causing a ground loop, subsequent runway excursion, and left main gear collapse. Factors in the accident include the ground loop encountered and the depression.
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 pilot was making a full stop landing to a grass airstrip (2,400 feet by 150 feet, dry turf). After the airplane landed, it ground looped and exited the right side of the runway. The left main gear hit a depression and subsequently collapsed.
Factual narrative
The aircraft was substantially damaged when the left main gear collapsed after landing on runway 03 (2,400 feet by 150 feet, turf). The pilot stated that he was practicing touch and go landings earlier in the flight and decided to make his last landing to a full stop. After the airplane landed, it veered to the right. The pilot corrected with left rudder but the airplane continued to turn to the right. The airplane departed the right side of the runway into a bean field, the left wheel hit a depression, and the left main gear subsequently collapsed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2850K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5577
- Airframe hours
- 1,770
- Engine
- Continental A65-8F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Lenahan
- Registered owner
- St Louis Sport Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2007
- Departed
- H49 · Columbia, IL
- Airport
- H49 · Columbia, runway 03, 2,400 × 150 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 273 total · 21 in this make and model · 145 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KCPS, 8 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 N2850K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.