- Date
- June 1, 2019, 16:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Heber, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2689KLuscombe 8
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190601005579A
- Case key
- 99527
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 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 the landing roll in a gusting crosswind, the airplane veered left. He added right rudder, which slowed the veer. However, he saw that the airplane was going to depart the runway, so he added full power and right rudder to abort the landing. The airplane became airborne but "stopped the climb, and slid tail first onto the ground." The right main landing gear collapsed, and the propeller and the right wing struck the ground. 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 airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 10 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 010° at 10 knots and that, about 10 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 340° at 14 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 04. It is likely that, during the aborted landing, the pilot aerodynamically stalled the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll in a gusting crosswind, the airplane veered to the left. He added right rudder, which slowed the veer, but observed that the airplane was going to depart the runway. He added full power and right rudder to abort the landing. The airplane became airborne, but "stopped the climb, and slid tail first onto the ground." The right main landing gear collapsed, and the propeller and the right wing struck the ground. 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 airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 10 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 010° at 10 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 10 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 340° at 14 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 04. It is likely that during the aborted landing, the pilot aerodynamically stalled the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2689K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5416
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 3,222.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 4, 2018
- Departed
- HCR · Heber, UT
- Destination
- HCR · Heber, UT
- Airport
- HCR · Heber City Muni - Russ Mcdonal, runway 04, 6,898 × 75 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Military, Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 24, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 12,383 total · 179.8 in this make and model · 9,697 as pilot in command · 112.5 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KHCR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.