- Date
- March 22, 1997, 14:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Arlington, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1184KLuscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 14, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970322003489A
- Case key
- 42573
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
Landing long (improper touchdown point) and collapse of the main landing gear during an intentional swerve or groundloop. Factors include excessive airspeed on approach.
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 stated that he was landing on the 1500 foot long grass runway; while on approach to avoid glider operations, he kept too much airspeed and landed long on the grass, which he stated was freshly cut. He noted that Luscombes have notoriously bad brakes and they did not slow him down sufficiently after touchdown. As no airplanes were at the end of the runway, he opted to try to steer left. The right landing gear collapsed at about 15-20 miles per hour. Witnesses observed that the airplane failed to slow down and ground-looped beyond the end of the runway.
Factual narrative
On March 22, 1997, approximately 1415 Pacific standard time, N1184K, a Luscombe 8A, sustained substantial damage when it ground looped at the end of a grass runway at Arlington, Washington. The private pilot and his passenger were uninjured. The flight was conducted in visual meteorological conditions with no flight plan filed. The ELT did not actuate.
The pilot stated that he was landing on the 1500 foot long grass runway; while on approach to avoid glider operations, he kept too much airspeed and landed long on the grass, which he stated was freshly cut. He noted that Luscombes have notoriously bad brakes and they did not slow him down sufficiently after touchdown. As no airplanes were at the end of the runway, he opted to try to steer left. The right landing gear collapsed at about 15-20 miles per hour. Witnesses observed that the airplane failed to slow down and ground-looped beyond the end of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1184K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3911
- Airframe hours
- 2,500
- Engine
- Continental C-90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeffery C. Hill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AWO
- Airport
- ARL · Arlington, runway 16, 1,500 × 30 ft, grass/turf
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, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.