- Date
- April 16, 2000, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Galveston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N25270Luscombe 8C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000416006799A
- Case key
- 48981
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 preflight inspection, which resulted in the pilot attempting to takeoff with the elevator and ailerons locked by the passenger side seatbelt.
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 attempted to takeoff in the tailwheel equipped airplane with the co-pilot's seatbelt wrapped around the co-pilot's flight control. After the airplane became airborne, the pilot reduced the engine power and attempted to land on the runway. The airplane impacted the runway with the tail wheel and the right main landing gear first. The right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing impacted the ground. Subsequently, the left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed down.
Factual narrative
On April 16, 2000, at 1400 central daylight time, a Luscombe 8C tail wheel equipped airplane, N25270, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during takeoff initial climb near Galveston, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant and registered owner of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight was originating from the Scholes Field Airport near Galveston, Texas, at the time of the accident.
According to the FAA inspector, who visited the accident site, the pilot attempted to takeoff on runway 17 with the co-pilot's seatbelt wrapped around the co-pilot's flight control. The pilot stated that after the airplane became airborne, he reduced the engine power and attempted to land on the runway. The FAA inspector stated that the airplane impacted the runway with the tail wheel and the right main landing gear first. The right main landing gear collapsed and the outboard 5 feet of the right wing was structurally damaged upon impact with the ground. The airplane then impacted the ground with the left main landing gear, which collapsed. The airplane subsequently nosed down, structurally damaging the firewall.
Numerous attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) from the pilot were unsuccessful.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25270
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1177
- Engine
- Continental C-75, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ralph Scott Royce
- Registered owner
- Eagle Aero Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GLS
- Airport
- GLS · Scholes Feild, runway 17, 6,001 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 82
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GLS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.