- Date
- November 19, 2019, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Brogue, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N71707Luscombe 8
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191119018979A
- Case key
- 100608
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 see and avoid wires during approach to landing.
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, while on final approach to the runway, the landing gear struck a wire and the airplane then impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while on final approach to the runway, the landing gear struck a wire and the airplane impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71707
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3134
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 2,083.7
- Engine
- Continental A65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 24, 2019
- Departed
- W42 · Fallston, MD
- Destination
- 9W8 · Brogue, PA
- Airport
- 9W8 · Baublitz Commercial, runway 28, 2,493 × 100 ft
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- February 15, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,129.3 total · 241 in this make and model · 1,024 as pilot in command · 3.2 in the last 90 days · 2.5 in the last 30 days · 0.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- KLNS, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 8, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.2 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.