# NTSB CHI07LA126: Luscombe 8A, N1120B, Fruitport, MI, May 1, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 1, 2007, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC) - Place: Fruitport, MI - Coordinates: 43.104999, -86.123611 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1050&lon=-86.1236&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed, report February 28, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Grand Rapids FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 65738 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI07LA126 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65738/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI07LA126 ## Probable cause The flight instructor failed to use carburetor heat during takeoff in icing conditions. A factor was the power line pole. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, takeoff - initial climb - carburetor heat - not used, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - weather condition - carburetor icing conditions - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - utility pole (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ditch ## Analysis During the climb out the engine lost power. The CFI lowered the nose to establish a glide speed of about 65-70 mph and executed a forced landing to a field. He applied carburetor heat, switched magnetos, and pumped the throttle but with no effect. The CFI saw power line wires and tried to avoid them by going under the wires, but the airplane's right wing hit a power line pole. The airplane rotated to the right and landed in the ditch next to a road. The engine was put on an engine test stand and the engine run revealed that it met operational specifications. The temperature was 16 degrees Celsius and the dew point was 12 degrees Celsius. The mechanic who conducted the airplane's annual inspection five months earlier and who received dual instruction in the airplane before the accident flight stated that he encountered carburetor icing while taxiing and while in cruise flight. A review of two Luscombe owners' handbooks from the late 1940s and early 1950s found guidance recommending full carburetor heat for takeoffs and landings. A placard located next to the carburetor heat lever on the instrument panel stated the following: "Full Carburetor Air Heat Required for Takeoff and Landing." Although originally intended to correct fuel flow problems in early model 8As (during takeoffs with high pitch attitudes), the placard comports with Luscombe 8A owners and pilot operating manual guidance on carburetor icing avoidance. The certificated flight instructor reported that he had not applied carburetor heat until the engine lost power after takeoff. ## Factual narrative On May 1, 2007, about 1715 eastern daylight time, a Luscombe 8A, N1120B, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a field following a loss of engine power during take off from the Flying-A-Ranch Airport (39Z), Fruitport, Michigan. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and dual student received serious injuries. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight departed 39Z about 1715 for a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The CFI reported he had flown the airplane for about 45 minutes with another pilot and had shut the airplane down in order to switch pilots. Prior to takeoff on the accident flight, the CFI got in the left seat and the dual student pilot got in the right seat. According to the CFI, the main body fuel tank had just less than 3/4 of a tank of fuel [10.5 gallons] and the wing tank had 6-7 gallons of fuel. The CFI taxied the airplane for takeoff, and after the engine run-up was completed, departed from runway 9. During the climb out the engine lost power. The CFI lowered the nose to establish a glide speed about 65 - 70 mph, and executed a forced landing to a blueberry field. He applied carburetor heat, switched magnetos, and pumped the throttle but with no effect. The CFI saw power line wires and tried to avoid them by going under the wires, but the airplane's right wing hit a power line pole. The airplane rotated to the right and landed in the ditch next to a road. The CFI was able to crawl out of the wreckage, but rescue personnel extracted the dual student from the airplane. The engine was shipped to Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) in Mobile, Alabama, for inspection. The engine was put on an engine test stand and an engine run was conducted. The engine run revealed that the engine met TCM operational specifications. The maximum gross weight of the airplane was 1,260 pounds. The empty weight of the airplane was about 736 pounds. The weight of the pilot was about 255 pounds, and the weight of the dual student was about 220 pounds. The 1655 surface weather observation at the Muskegon County Airport (MKG), Muskegon, Michigan, located 6 miles northwest of 39Z, indicated that the temperature was 16 degrees Celsius and the dew point was 12 degrees Celsius. The Transport Canada carburetor-icing chart indicated "Serious icing - any power" with a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius and a dew point of 12 degrees Celsius. The mechanic who conducted the airplane's annual inspection five months earlier and who received dual instruction in the airplane before the accident flight stated that he encountered carburetor icing while taxiing and while in cruise flight. A placard located next to the carburetor heat lever on the instrument panel stated the following: "Full Carburetor Air Heat Required for Takeoff and Landing." The placard was originally intended to correct fuel flow problems in early model 8As with single fuselage fuel tanks (during takeoffs with high pitch attitudes). A review of two Luscombe owners handbooks from the late 1940s and early 1950s found guidance recommending full carburetor heat for takeoffs and landings for all Luscombe models to prevent engine power loss caused by carburetor ice. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1120B](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1120B-2009-02-04), registration cancelled 2009-02-04, S/N 5747, built 1947 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Luscombe 8A - Registry model: [Luscombe 8A](https://openairdocs.org/model/luscombe-8a) (registry code 8190104) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 5747 - Airframe hours: 1671 - Engines: Continental A & C 65 reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 1, 2006, 0.8 hours before - Departed: 39Z, Fruitport, MI - Flight plan: Unknown - Airport: 39Z, Flying-a-Ranch, runway 9, 1,925 × 70 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 30; injuries: serious; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 1, 2005; seat: left; flight hours: 2,560 total, 8 in this make and model, 2,380 as pilot in command, 51 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 50; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; last flight review June 1, 2005; seat: right; flight hours: 400 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 30° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 29.80 inHg - Observed at: MKG, 6 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070501009079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070501009079A), May 1, 2007: Luscom 8A, Nunica, MI, Destroyed. (-23) The pilot [privacy data omitted] stated that he and the passenger took off, lost power, applied carburetor heat, looked for a place to land, and in… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.