- Date
- January 5, 2019, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Casa Grande, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N71155Luscombe 8
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190105003689A
- Case key
- 98827
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 yaw control and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 yawed left. He tried to correct with right rudder and applied full power for a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane seemed to continue to yaw left, and he attempted to correct with full right rudder, but the airplane continued to drift left, aerodynamically stalled, and subsequently collided with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, as soon as the main landing gear touched down, the airplane yawed to the left. He tried to correct with right rudder and applied full power for a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane seemed to continue to yaw to the left, correcting with full right rudder. The airplane continued to drift left, aerodynamically stalled, and subsequently, collided with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71155
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2582
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,717
- Engine
- Continental A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2018
- Departed
- CGZ · Casa Grande, AZ
- Destination
- CGZ · Casa Grande, AZ
- Airport
- CGZ · Casa Grande Muni, runway 05, 5,200 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 54
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 11, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 448 total · 367 in this make and model · 392 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KCGZ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 893 KB 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 N71155 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.