- Date
- May 26, 2019, 13:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Carbondale, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N45729Luscombe 8
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- FAA report
- 20190526005189A
- Case key
- 99506
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 inadvertent left heel brake application during the landing roll, which resulted in a noseover.
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 reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust. He applied right rudder to counter the gust; however, his foot slipped off the right rudder pedal. To prevent a runway excursion to the left, the pilot attempted to use only the right heel brake to realign the airplane's heading; however, he inadvertently depressed both the left and right heel 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 preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust. He applied right rudder to counter the gust, however, his foot slipped "completely off" the right rudder pedal. A runway excursion to the left was imminent, and the pilot attempted to use only the right heel brake to realign the airplane's heading. However, he inadvertently depressed both the left and right heel 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
- N45729
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2256
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 2,044.9
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 19, 2019
- Departed
- HRO · Harrison, AR
- Destination
- MDH · Carbondale, IL
- Airport
- MDH · Southern Illinois, runway 36R, 6,506 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS
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
- 61
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 18, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 20,300 total · 32 in this make and model · 16,870 as pilot in command · 134 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KMDH
Docket · 2
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.