# NTSB SEA03LA081: Luscombe 8A, N1977B, Colville, WA, May 15, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 15, 2003, 11:55 local (18:55 UTC) - Place: Colville, WA - Coordinates: 48.541389, -117.884445 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.5414&lon=-117.8844&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 25, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56990 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA03LA081 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56990/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03LA081 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions on landing. A contributing factor was a crosswind. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis The pilot landed on runway 19 with an approximate 90 degree crosswind and a wind velocity in excess of 10 knots. While making the crosswind landing the main wheels were down and as the tail wheel touched the runway, the wind began to lift the left wing and the aircraft begin to drift to the right. After several attempts at corrective action the aircraft departed the pavement at about a 10 to 15 degree angle coming nearly to a stop as the wind caught and raised the tail overturning the aircraft. The nose over resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and the right wing lift strut. ## Factual narrative On May 15, 2003, about 1155 Pacific daylight time, a Luscombe 8A airplane, N1977B, sustained substantial damage during the landing rollout and subsequent nose over at the Colville Municipal Airport (63S), Colville, Washington. The airplane is registered to the pilot, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. There was no fire and no report of ELT activation. In a written statement the pilot reported that the wind was across the runway at approximately 90 degrees. The wind velocity was in excess of 10 knots, and that the wind sock was straight out. The pilot stated that while making the crosswind landing on runway 19, the main wheels were down and as the tail wheel touched the runway, the wind began to lift the left wing and the aircraft begin to drift to the right. The pilot further reported that after he made several attempts at corrective action, the aircraft departed the pavement at about a 10 to 15 degree angle coming nearly to a stop as the wind caught and raised the tail overturning the aircraft. The nose over resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and the right wing lift strut. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1977B](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1977B), registered now, S/N 6404, built 1948 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Luscombe 8A - Registry model: [Luscombe 8A](https://openairdocs.org/model/luscombe-8a) (registry code 8190104) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 6404 - Airframe hours: 1653 - Engines: Teledyne Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Robert E. Sterner - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 24, 2003, 42 hours before - Departed: 09S, METALINE FALLS, ID - Destination: 63S, Colville, WA - Airport: 63S, Colville Muni, runway 19, 2,700 × 45 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 2, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 1,024 total, 856 in this make and model, 977 as pilot in command, 44 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 100° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030515009079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030515009079A), May 15, 2003: Luscom 8A, Colville, WA, Substantial damage. (-23) During wheel-landing roll-out on runway 19 with left cross wind in excess of 10 KTS, as aircraft slowed and tailwheel touched down, wind lifted left… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.