- Date
- March 12, 1994, 11:42 local (18:42 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2295KLuscombe 8EZ
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940312004869A
- Case key
- 28695
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 flying pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing crosswind condition, his failure to maintain directional control, and the inadvertent entry into a ground loop. A factor in the accident was the flying pilot's lack of experience in conventional landing gear aircraft.
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
The aircraft owner stated that he holds a flight instructor certificate and was showing another flight instructor, who has no tail wheel experience, how to land a conventional gear aircraft. The aircraft owner was in the right seat while the second flight instructor occupied the left seat. The owner reported that they had performed several touch-and-go landings with the second flight instructor manipulating the flight controls. On the accident landing, the aircraft had just touched down on the main wheels when a crosswind gust lifted the left wing. The flying pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft and it veered to the right, ran off the runway, and struck a runway sign with the right wing.
Factual narrative
On March 12, 1994, at 1142 mountain standard time, a Luscombe 8EZ, N2295K, collided with a runway sign following an on-ground loss of control while performing touch-and-go pattern operations at Prescott, Arizona. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. Neither of the certificated commercial pilots on board the aircraft were injured. The flight originated at the Prescott airport on the day of the mishap about 1100 hours as a local area traffic pattern practice flight.
In a telephone interview, the aircraft owner stated that he holds a flight instructor certificate and was showing another flight instructor, who has no tail wheel experience, how to land a conventional gear aircraft. The aircraft owner was in the right seat while the second flight instructor occupied the left seat.
The owner reported that they had performed several touch-and-go landings with the second flight instructor manipulating the flight controls. On the accident landing, the aircraft had just touched down on the main wheels when a crosswind gust lifted the left wing. The flying pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft and it veered to the right, ran off the runway, and struck a runway sign with the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2295K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8EZ
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5022
- Airframe hours
- 1,482
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Herbert A. Becker
- Registered owner
- Herbert A. Becker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 1993 · 91 hours before
- Airport
- PRC · Ernest A. Love Fld, runway 3R, 7,616 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 72
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,365 total · 85 in this make and model · 8,310 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 65 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PRC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.