- Date
- May 19, 2016, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Blue Bell, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N62925Luscombe 8
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160519009129A
- Case key
- 93214
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 failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in runway excursion, and collision with a ditch.
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
During an instructional checkout flight, the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that after the tailwheel came up during the takeoff roll, the airplane yawed to the right. The pilot further reported that the flight instructor took over the flight controls, but the airplane continued off of the runway to the right and impacted a ditch. According to the flight instructor there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
Factual narrative
During an instructional checkout flight, the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that after the tailwheel came up during the takeoff roll, the airplane yawed to the right. The pilot further reported that the flight instructor took over the flight controls, but the airplane continued off of the runway to the right and impacted a ditch. According to the flight instructor there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N62925
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3393
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 1,596
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 1, 2016
- Departed
- LOM · Blue Bell, PA
- Destination
- LOM · Blue Bell, PA
- Airport
- LOM · Wings Field, runway 24, 3,700 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 8, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 7,700 total · 133 in this make and model · 7,100 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,238 total · 0.1 in this make and model · 1,150 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KLOM, 2 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.