- Date
- March 18, 1994, 08:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Wimauma, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N71891Luscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940318005919A
- Case key
- 37510
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 failure of the person removing the chock to maintain sufficient clearance from the propeller. A contributing factor was the total lack of experience by person on ground.
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 pilot in command was initiating a sight seeing ride, the passenger's father assisted in untying the tail of the airplane. After unchocking the left main tire, he turned to walk-away when his right arm was struck by the propeller.
Factual narrative
On March 18, 1994, about 0810 eastern standard time, a Luscombe 8A, N71891, registered to Horace Riggs, was involved in an accident while initiating a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot was not injured, and the ground attendant sustained a serious injury while removing the chock from the left side of the airplane.
The pilot was preparing to taxi as the ground attendant untied the tail tie down rope and removed the left wheel chock. The attendant turned to walk away from the airplane and his right arm was struck by the propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71891
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3318
- Airframe hours
- 2,989
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Riggs, Horace L.
- Registered owner
- Riggs, Horace L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 11, 1994 · 1 hours before
- Airport
- FD77 · Wimauma Airpark
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 128 total · 40 in this make and model · 55 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TPA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.