- Date
- April 5, 2018, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Vernon, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N71617Luscombe 8
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180405007809A
- Case key
- 97005
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 landing
Findings · 3
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 the three-point landing, almost immediately after touchdown, the airplane veered to the left, ground looped to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed. He added that the airplane came to rest facing 180° opposite of the landing direction in the grass off the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right aileron. He further reported that when loading the airplane onto the trailer for recovery, he noticed there was a crack in the right gear leg just above the weld to the axle. He added that 2/3 of the brake showed fresh metal, and the other 1/3 was rusted and corroded. The automated weather observation system located at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 230° at 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot landed on runway 20.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the three-point landing, almost immediately after touch down, the airplane veered to the left, ground looped to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed. He added that, the airplane came to rest facing 180° opposite of the landing direction in the grass off the left side of the runway. He further reported, that when loading the airplane onto the trailer for recovery, he noticed there was a crack in the right gear leg, just above the weld to the axle. He added that 2/3 of the break showed fresh metal and the other 1/3 was rusted and corroded. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right aileron. The automated weather observation system located at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 230° at 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot landed on runway 20.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71617
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3044
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,660.5
- Engine
- Continental A65F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 2018
- Departed
- 6K4 · Fairview, OK
- Destination
- F05 · Vernon, TX
- Airport
- F05 · Wilbarger County, runway 20, 5,099 × 100 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,307 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,195 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KF05
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.