- Date
- August 28, 2009, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Sandy, OR
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2218KSilvaire Luscombe 8A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090828016479A
- Case key
- 74622
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 pilot's decision to continue the landing rather than execute a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed and altitude during the approach.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The wind was calm as the pilot approached the airport's 2,115-foot-long Runway 26 and attempted to land. The pilot stated that he terminated his first two approaches to the runway because he was too fast and too high. In part, this event was due to "obstacles" in proximity to the approach end of the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration's "Airport Facility Directory" indicates that the closest obstacle to the runway's approach end is located 115 feet from the runway's extended centerline. During the pilot's third attempted landing, he was also too high and too fast but he decided to land anyway. The airplane touched down long, overran the departure end, impacted vines, and nosed over. According to the pilot, there was no mechanical malfunction with his airplane and the accident could have been prevented had he made a go-around.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that the wind was calm as he approached the airport's 2,115-foot-long runway 26 and attempted to land. The pilot stated that he terminated his first two approaches to the runway because he was too fast and too high. In part, this event was due to "obstacles" on the approach end of the runway. During the pilot's third attempted landing, he was also too high and too fast, but he landed anyway. The airplane touched down long, overran the departure end, impacted vines, and nosed over. According to the pilot, there was no mechanical malfunction with his airplane, and the accident could have been prevented had he made a go-around. The Federal Aviation Administration's "Airport Facility Directory" indicates that a 58-foot-tall tree is located 225 feet from the runway's approach end and 115 feet right of the runway's centerline.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2218K
- Reported as
- Silvaire Luscombe 8A (8A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4945
- Airframe hours
- 2,857
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 2008 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- 7S9 · Hubbard, OR
- Destination
- 03S · Sandy, OR
- Airport
- 03S · Sandy River, runway 26, 2,115 × 100 ft, dirt
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
- 84
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 478 total · 300 in this make and model · 341 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 2, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 534 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.