Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A N71983

Summary

On 20 May 2023 at about 14:20 local time, a Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A registered N71983 was involved in an accident near Clovis, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

20 May 2023 at 14:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Clovis, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Clovis Rgnl (CVN)

Coordinates

34.4487, -103.0784

Aircraft

Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A

Registration

N71983

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portales → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA198

2 people had minor injuries.

The airplane’s uncontrollable descent and forced landing for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that he and the pilot receiving instruction were conducting a series of touch-and-go landings and, while on the crosswind leg about 300 ft above ground level, the airplane stopped climbing and began to descend. The flight instructor stated there was not enough time to assess the engine or flight controls and he initiated a landing in a nearby field. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. Both propeller blade tips were bent aft and exhibited some twisting. An examination of the airframe and engine found the right aileron cables were installed incorrectly and twisted, but any mechanical interference resulting from this was slight and likely imperceivable during preflight checks or inflight. A mechanic stated the magnetos were timed to 0°, and the engine technical specifications called for the magnetos to be timed 30°, which would have likely had a significant effect on the engine’s ability to produce power. However, the method in which the timing was checked was not established and it is unlikely the engine would have performed adequately for the airplane to have operated without the pilots recognizing there was an engine performance issue. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious icing at cruise power. It is possible the engine exhibited at least a partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing, but neither pilot recalled a change in engine performance and a loss of engine power was not confirmed beforeto the accident. The reason the airplane descended uncontrollably could not be determined based on the available evidence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.