- Date
- May 3, 2019, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Orofino, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N22052Luscombe 8
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190503003839A
- Case key
- 99369
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 improper brake application during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent experience using heel brakes.
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
The pilot reported that he decided to perform a high-speed taxi after repairs had been made to the tailwheel-equipped airplane "to verify controls and instrumentation," but the airplane became airborne, and he decided that the safest action was to fly one pattern and land. He reported that, during the landing roll, the ground speed decreased to about 3 knots, the brakes locked up, and the airplane then nosed over. The pilot added that the airplane was equipped with heel brakes and that it had been 13 years since he had flown a tailwheel-equipped airplane with heel brakes. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the airplane's, "current annual had not been completed, however several repairs were made in anticipation of completing the Annual inspection, including the installation of new main landing gear brake linings, "which are part of the wheel and not part of the shoe." Additionally, he reported that the airplane was equipped with heel brakes, and that it had been 13 years since he had flown a tailwheel-equipped airplane with heel brakes. The pilot decided to perform a high-speed taxi after the repairs were made, "to verify controls and instrumentation," but the airplane became airborne and he decided that the safest action was to fly one pattern and land. He reported that during the landing roll, the airplane's ground speed decreased to about 3 knots and the brakes locked up, and the airplane nosed over. A witness reported that the pilot made the repairs to the brakes. The airplane took off, completed one pattern and landed. During the landing roll the airplane nosed over. After the accident, the pilot told the witness that, he applied the brakes and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22052
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 878
- Built
- 1939
- Airframe hours
- 3,883
- Engine
- Continental C75-12F, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Other
- Departed
- S68 · Orofino, ID
- Destination
- S68 · Orofino, ID
- Airport
- S68 · Orofino Muni, runway 27, 2,500 × 60 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 7, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,027 total · 229 in this make and model · 926 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KLWS, 31 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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 N22052 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.