- Date
- July 26, 2018, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrenceville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1489BLuscombe 8
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180726018239A
- Case key
- 97907
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 with a tailwind.
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 landing, as soon as the main landing gear touched down, the airplane veered left. He tried to correct with right rudder, but the airplane exited the runway to the left into the grass and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 230° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 36.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, as soon as the main landing gear touched down, the airplane veered to the left. He tried to correct with right rudder, but the airplane exited the runway to the left into the grass, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 230° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 36.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1489B
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6116
- Built
- 1948
- Airframe hours
- 3,588.1
- Engine
- Continental C90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 2018
- Departed
- S37 · Smoketown, PA
- Destination
- LVL · Lawrenceville, VA
- Airport
- LVL · Lawrenceville/Brunswick Muni, runway 36, 3,020 × 50 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
- 70
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 20, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,089.3 total · 158.6 in this make and model · 1,013.5 as pilot in command · 6.4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KLVL
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.
Other investigations on N1489B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.