- Date
- September 6, 2017, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Westminster, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1590KLuscombe 8
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170906015909A
- Case key
- 95974
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 landing roll in gusting wind conditions.
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
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on a grass runway, a wind gust pushed the airplane off the runway to the left. The right wing impacted a tree, and the airplane spun clockwise 180° before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 360° at 15 to 20 knots, gusting to greater than 20 knots. The airplane landed on runway 31.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on a grass runway, a wind gust pushed the airplane off the runway to the left. The right wing impacted a tree and the airplane spun clockwise 180° before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 360° at 15 to 20 knots, gusting to greater than 20 knots. The airplane landed on runway 31.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1590K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4317
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 2,680.78
- Engine
- Continental A65-8A, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 13, 2016
- Departed
- 66XS · Westminster, TX
- Destination
- 66XS · Westminster, TX
- Airport
- 66XS · Baylie, runway 31, 2,200 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 9, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,775 total · 400 in this make and model · 37.2 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KTKI, 14 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.