Luscombe 8 N72087

Summary

On 28 May 2016 at about 17:00 local time, a Luscombe 8 registered N72087 was involved in an accident near Midland, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 May 2016 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Midland, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Midland Intl (MAF)

Coordinates

31.9406, -102.1986

Aircraft

Luscombe 8

Registration

N72087

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sweetwater → Midland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA269

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a ground-loop, main landing gear collapse and collision with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, a gust of wind lifted the right wing "straight up into the air." The pilot further reported that she attempted to regain control, but the airplane continued to the left and impacted terrain next to the runway in a side load configuration, which resulted in a main landing gear collapse. The fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged. The airport's automated weather observing system, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 180 degrees true at 10 knots, gusting to 21 knots, for the landing on runway 28. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.