Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB CEN11FA420
LUSCOMBE 8A — Farmdale, OH
| Date | June 26, 2011 |
| Location | Farmdale, OH |
| Aircraft | LUSCOMBE 8A |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-aerobatics Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 38 |
| Pilot total time | 570 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 483 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
The accident airplane was observed entering a near-vertical climb shortly after taking off from the private airstrip. The airplane continued in the near-vertical climb to about 300 feet above the ground before it turned to the left and entered a nose-down descent toward the runway. One witness described the aerobatic maneuver as a wingover or a hammerhead. Another witness stated that the airplane appeared to stall at the apex of the vertical climb, before it entered the left turn and nose-down descent. The same witness reported hearing the engine operate at a high speed during the descent. Several witnesses noted that the airplane impacted the grass runway as it was recovering from the dive. Given the witness statements, and that the pilot reported completing two flights earlier in the day during which he had performed aerobatic maneuvers near the private airstrip, the airplane likely stalled while the pilot was performing the maneuver. The pilot reported having no recollection of the accident flight besides performing an uneventful takeoff. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.