Summary
On October 26, 1996, a Luscombe 8A (N71643) was involved in an incident near El Cajon, CA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: Unfavorable weather condition(s), which caused the aircraft to descend at a rate that exceeded its climb capability.
On October 26, 1996, at 1655 hours Pacific daylight time, a Luscombe 8A, N71643, was substantially damaged during a collision with the ground following takeoff on runway 27L at Gillespie Field, El Cajon, California. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area personal flight.
The pilot reported that he had completed four touch-and-go landings on runway 27L. Winds were aligned with the runway at about 12 knots and there was no turbulence present while he flew in the airport traffic pattern. The aircraft was climbing out after the fourth touch-and-go, and had reached about 250 feet agl at midfield, when the pilot observed a dust devil and debris blowing across the departure end of the runway.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX97LA025. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N71643.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
unfavorable weather condition(s), which caused the aircraft to descend at a rate that exceeded its climb capability.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On October 26, 1996, at 1655 hours Pacific daylight time, a Luscombe 8A, N71643, was substantially damaged during a collision with the ground following takeoff on runway 27L at Gillespie Field, El Cajon, California. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area personal flight.
The pilot reported that he had completed four touch-and-go landings on runway 27L. Winds were aligned with the runway at about 12 knots and there was no turbulence present while he flew in the airport traffic pattern. The aircraft was climbing out after the fourth touch-and-go, and had reached about 250 feet agl at midfield, when the pilot observed a dust devil and debris blowing across the departure end of the runway. As the aircraft approached the departure end of the runway, he felt the aircraft's wings rock like a wake turbulence encounter. In the next few seconds the aircraft started descending at about 500 feet per minute, although he had full throttle applied and was in climb attitude at 70 miles per hour. He tried to turn back to the parallel runway 9L, but collided with terrain in an open dirt area about 500 feet west of the runway threshold. He estimated that from the time he felt the wings rock until he was on the ground was no more than 10 seconds. He added that there were no mechanical problems with the aircraft.
Gillespie tower personnel reported to a San Diego Flight Standards District Office inspector that after the accident there had been freak wind gusts up to 50 knots that lasted 2 to 3 minutes, followed by calm wind conditions.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX97LA025