- Date
- November 12, 2016, 09:25 local (14:25 UTC)
- Place
- Conway, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2604KLuscombe 8
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161112018449A
- Case key
- 94375
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 of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground loop.
Findings · 2
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 in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he landed on the turf runway, and the airplane began to drift left. He made a right rudder pedal input that did not counter the left drift, and he adjusted his foot on the right rudder pedal so that he could apply differential braking. However, he reported that "my shoe was caught between the rudder pedal and the sheet metal fairing on the floorboard that covers the rudder pedal bell cranks," which prevented him from applying differential braking. The airplane exited the runway to the left and ground looped, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar and right aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he landed on the turf runway and the airplane began to drift left. He made a right rudder pedal input that did not counter the left drift, and he adjusted his foot on the right rudder pedal so that he could apply differential braking. However, he reported that, "my shoe was caught between the rudder pedal and the sheet metal fairing on the floorboard that covers the rudder pedal bell cranks," preventing him from applying differential braking. The airplane exited the runway to the left, ground looped to the left, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar and right aileron. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2604K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (E)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5331
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 2,593
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 2016
- Departed
- ORK · North Little Rock, AR
- Destination
- AR88 · Conway, AR
- Airport
- AR88 · Poe'S, runway 11, 2,700 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 5, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,580 total · 1,489 in this make and model · 1,437 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- KLRF, 13 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 12, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.