# NTSB CHI93LA369: Luscombe 8F, N840B, Festus, MO, September 18, 1993

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: September 18, 1993, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place: Festus, MO
- Coordinates: 38.219432, -90.399955 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2194&lon=-90.4000&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report October 20, 1994
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 9321
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI93LA369
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/9321/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI93LA369

## Probable cause

a fatigue failure of the tailwheel spring.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Tail gear collapsed, landing - roll
  - landing gear,tailwheel assembly - failure,total (cause)
  - landing gear,tailwheel assembly - fatigue
- Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll

## Analysis

The pilot lost control of the airplane when the tailwheel spring failed during landing roll.  Metallurgical examination of the fracture surface determined the failure was from fatigue.

## Factual narrative

On September 18, 1993, at 1315 central daylight time, a Luscombe 8F, N840B, sustained substantial damage when it departed the runway and ground-looped during landing rollout at the Festus Memorial Airport, Festus, Missouri.  The private pilot was not injured.  No flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight which originated at the St. Clair Regional Airport, St. Clair, Missouri.

The pilot reported the tail wheel spring broke during landing roll, and that he lost directional control when the rudder became ineffective.  The tail wheel spring was examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory.  The report described the fracture as containing features indicative of fatigue cracking.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N840B](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N840B), registered now, S/N 6772, built 1950 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LUSCOMBE 8F
- Registry model: [Luscombe 8F](https://openairdocs.org/model/luscombe-8f) (registry code 8190114) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental C90 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c90-series) (registry code 17009, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 6772
- Airframe hours: 1783
- Engines: CONTINENTAL C-90-12F 90 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Paul V. Graves
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, December 18, 1992, 33 hours before
- Departed: K39, ST CLAIR, MO
- Airport: FES, Festus Memorial Airport, runway 18, 2,202 × 49 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 55; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 337 total, 307 in this make and model, 307 as pilot in command, 10 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 70 °F

## 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 19930918035259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930918035259A), Sep 18, 1993: Luscom 8E, Festus, MO, Substantial damage. Wheel broke off during landing, aircraft groundlooped. (-4)the pilot lost control of the airplane when the tailwheel spring failed during landing roll.…

## Other investigations on N840B (1)

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.

- [NTSB CHI02LA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA204), Jul 17, 2002: Luscombe 8F (N840B), Farmington, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The locked brake and the aircraft control not being possible due to the locked brake.

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.