- Date
- November 24, 1996, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Charlotte, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1378KLuscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961124036289A
- Case key
- 38181
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
failure of the pilot maintain directional control of the aircraft, while landing. The proximity of trees was a related factor.
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 realized he had a tailwind while on short final approach and continued the approach to landing. During landing, he lost directional control of the aircraft, and it went off the runway and collided with trees.
Factual narrative
On November 24, 1996, about 1400 eastern standard time, a Luscombe 8A, N1378K, registered to a private owner, ran off the runway and collided with trees, when control was lost during landing at Goose Creek Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the airline transport-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Lancaster, South Carolina, the same day about 1330.
The pilot stated that on landing rollout the aircraft veered to the left. Full right rudder did not correct the left veer and the aircraft went off the side of the runway. He applied full engine power in an attempt to go-around, but the left wing contacted trees and the aircraft came to rest. He stated that on short final approach he realized that a tailwind existed, but he did not do a go-around at that time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1378K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4105
- Airframe hours
- 2,426
- Engine
- Continental C-85-8F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James M. Hocutt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 25, 1996 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- SC76 · Lancaster, SC
- Destination
- 28A
- Airport
- 28A · Goose Creek, runway 4, 2,350 × 50 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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,732 total · 99 in this make and model · 2,730 as pilot in command · 367 in the last 90 days · 132 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLT, 20 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.
Other investigations on N1378K · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.