- Date
- June 26, 2010, 11:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gordonsville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1516BSilvaire Luscombe 8A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100626037009A
- Case key
- 76443
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control, and his excessive braking during the landing rollout.
Findings · 3
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
According to the student pilot, during the landing roll on runway 23, he overcompensated for a left crosswind and the tailwheel-equipped airplane departed the right side of the runway. The student pilot also stated that he applied brake pressure “too forcefully,” and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and tail section. The student pilot further reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. He also reported 82 hours of total flight experience, 25 of which were in make and model. The winds reported around the time of the accident, about 8 miles northeast of the accident site, were from 170 degrees at 4 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, during the landing roll on runway 23, he overcompensated for a left crosswind and the tailwheel-equipped airplane departed the right side of the runway. The student pilot also stated that he applied brake pressure “too forcefully,” and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and tail section. The student pilot further reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. He also reported 82 hours of total flight experience, 25 of which were in make and model. The winds reported around the time of the accident, about 8 miles northeast of the accident site, were from 170 degrees at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1516B
- Reported as
- Silvaire Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6143
- Airframe hours
- 5,470
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 2010
- Departed
- KGVE · Gordonsville, VA
- Destination
- KGVE · Gordonsville, VA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KGVE · Gordonsville Municipal Airport, runway 23, 2,300 × 40 ft, asphalt
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 82 total · 25 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KOMH, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 19, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.