- Date
- May 15, 1985, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Astatula, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N71909Silvaire Luscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850515017069A
- Case key
- 31245
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt (PIC) & his plt rated friend were practicing what the PIC described as simulated crop dusting. After completing a low pass over a field, the PIC made a steep pull up to turn around. He reported that the acft then stalled & crashed. A witness stated that the acft was near vertical during the pull up & appeared to nearly come to a complete stop before plunging to the ground. Reportedly, the acft & eng were performing normally prior to the crash.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71909
- Reported as
- Silvaire Luscombe 8A (LUSCOMBE 8)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3336
- Airframe hours
- 2,603
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James C. Corbitt, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 8, 1985
- Departed
- X61 · Zellwood, FL
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 152 in this make and model · 410 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 26 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.