- Date
- June 23, 2014, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N77917Luscombe 8A
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140623010499A
- Case key
- 89517
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 student pilot's use of excessive brakes during taxi, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control.
Findings · 2
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 solo student pilot was taxiing in a tailwheel equipped airplane for takeoff on the second leg of a solo cross-country flight. During the taxi, she noticed she was approaching a hold short line and applied the brakes to stop at the line. She said while depressing the heel brakes her foot became wedged and she pressed the brake harder than necessary. The tail of the airplane came up, dropping the nose to the ground. The airplane hesitated with its tail in the air for a moment, and then fell over on its back. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot was taxiing in a tailwheel equipped airplane for takeoff on the second leg of a solo cross-country flight. During the taxi, she noticed she was approaching a hold short line and applied the brakes to stop at the line. She said while depressing the heel brakes her foot became wedged and she pressed the brake harder than necessary. The tail of the airplane came up, dropping the nose to the ground. The airplane hesitated with its tail in the air for a moment, and then fell over on its back. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77917
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3644
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 1,350
- Engine
- Continental A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2013
- Departed
- KTUS · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- KTUS · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- TUS · Tucson Intl
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 16
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 19, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 185 total · 115 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 336 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.