- Date
- November 6, 2010, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hot Springs, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N71102Luscombe 8A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101106050519A
- Case key
- 77770
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind during landing.
Findings · 4
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 pilot, he maneuvered the airplane into a slip configuration while on final approach in an effort to compensate for a crosswind. He landed on runway 25 with using a wheel-landing technique, where the main landing gear touchdown first and the tail gear follows during the landing roll. During the roll out, as the airplane slowed, a gust of wind struck its right side. The airplane began to veer to the right and the pilot attempted to regain directional control with full left rudder and opposing aileron. The airplane continued to veer to the right and flipped over, coming to rest inverted. As a result of the accident sequence, the airplane incurred damage to the left wing, fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 310 degrees at 14, gusting to 19 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was compensating for a crosswind final approach by positioning the tailwheel-equipped airplane into a "steady slip." He landed on runway 25 with a “wheel landing technique,” and during the rollout, as the airplane slowed, a gust of wind struck its right side. The airplane began to veer to the right, and the pilot attempted to regain directional control with full left rudder and opposing aileron, but the airplane continued to veer to the right. The pilot was about to add power "to get some prop blast over the rudder and increase its authority," but the airplane skidded, flipped over and came to rest inverted resulting in substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 310 degrees at 14, gusting to 19 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71102
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2529
- Airframe hours
- 790
- Engine
- Cont Motor C-90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 22, 2010
- Departed
- OKV · Winchester, VA
- Destination
- HSP · Hot Springs, VA
- Airport
- HSP · Ingalls Field Airport, runway 25, 5,600 × 100 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 5, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 840 total · 600 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- HSP
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 3, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.