- Date
- February 3, 2001, 08:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Tombstone, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N747MPLuscombe 8F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA, ARIZONA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010203001319A
- Case key
- 51436
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 lack of directional control on the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and inadvertent nose over.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
On landing roll, in an effort to prevent the airplane from departing the left side of the runway, the pilot applied pressure to the right brake and the airplane nosed over. The owner was sitting in the right seat, and was letting his friend fly the airplane. He did not have brakes on the right side. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left edge of the runway. The owner estimated the speed was about 25 miles per hour. He attempted to help steer the airplane back to the centerline.
Factual narrative
On February 3, 2001, about 0845 hours mountain standard time, a Luscombe 8F, N747MP, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during the landing roll at the municipal airport at Tombstone, Arizona. The owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot manipulating the controls was believed to hold a Canadian pilot's certificate. He and the Airline Transport Pilot pilot/owner sustained minor injuries. The personal flight departed Marana Northwest Regional Airpark, Marana, Arizona, about 0750. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed.
The owner stated he knew the pilot was a Canadian military pilot. He assumed the pilot held a civilian Canadian certificate, but did not know what type. The pilot had flown the airplane when the owner bought the airplane several years ago, and the owner let him fly it during yearly visits.
The owner was sitting in the right seat and was letting his friend fly the airplane from the left seat. The airplane is not equipped with brakes on the right side. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left edge of the runway. The owner estimated the speed was about 25 miles per hour. He attempted to help steer the airplane back to the centerline. The pilot applied pressure to the right brake and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N747MP
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6271
- Airframe hours
- 4,250
- Engine
- Continental C90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Merrill Posner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 1999 · 84 hours before
- Departed
- AVQ · Marana, AZ
- Destination
- P29 · Tombstone, AZ
- Airport
- P29 · Tombstone Muni, runway 24, 4,610 × 65 ft, dirt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Military
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 82 in this make and model · 12,181 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- DUG, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.