Loss of control Accident Luscombe 8A N45851,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 196517
 
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Date:Tuesday 4 July 2017
Time:14:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic L8 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Luscombe 8A
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N45851
MSN: 2378
Year of manufacture:1946
Total airframe hrs:2897 hours
Engine model:Continental A-65-8
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Oneida County, Remsen, NY -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Remsen, NY (NY57)
Destination airport:Remsen, NY (NY57)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The commercial pilot departed a private grass airstrip and was observed by a witness returning about 14 minutes later. The witness stated that the airplane was headed east when it made a steep right turn followed by a steep left turn to get lined up on the final approach path for runway 9. The airplane straightened out as it descended toward the runway on a normal approach path. The airplane's wings were level, and the engine was running, when the airplane suddenly nosed over and descended into a hayfield from a height of about 75 ft above the ground. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted the hayfield in a nose-down attitude and came to rest upright about 660 ft from the end of the runway on a magnetic heading of about 261°. A postaccident examination of the airframe and a test-run of the engine found no evidence of any mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed that he had 13 hours of flight time in the accident airplane and had not flown in the 8 months before the accident. Since no mechanical issues were identified and based on the witness description and the wreckage, it is most likely that the pilot failed to maintain a safe airspeed as he approached the runway and exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

The airplane was equipped with lap belts only, and the pilot was wearing a lap belt at the time of the accident. The pilot had recently purchased new lap belt/shoulder harness assemblies that were to be installed in the airplane. The lack of a properly installed and worn upper body restraint may have contributed to the severity of some of the pilot's injuries.

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain the proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for him to recover.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: ERA17FA226
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 9 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=45851

Location

Images:


Photo: NTSB

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
05-Jul-2017 01:53 Geno Added
15-Apr-2019 14:44 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ]
15-Apr-2019 19:45 harro Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative, Photo]

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