N2466K

Substantial
Minor

LUSCOMBE 8ES/N: 5193

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, July 4, 2010
NTSB Number
WPR10CA334
Location
Tillamook, OR
Event ID
20100708X45718
Coordinates
45.417499, -123.814163
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
2
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The certified flight instructor’s selection of an inappropriate landing surface and the loss of engine power as a result of the improper use carburetor heat. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N2466K
Make
LUSCOMBE
Serial Number
5193
Engine Type
None
Year Built
1947
Model / ICAO
8EL8
No. of Engines
0

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
LEE GARY P
Address
181 HIDDEN MEADOW LN
Status
Deregistered
City
COLUMBIA FALLS
State / Zip Code
MT 59912-8964
Country
United States

Analysis

The certified flight instructor (CFI) indicated that he and his student pilot decided to land on the grass next to the runway because the student pilot “had no experience landing on sod.” The CFI stated that abeam the touchdown point they turned on the carburetor heat and that the approach was “normal but a bit low.” The CFI did not alert the student about the low altitude, assuming that they “could power over the tall grass and drop into the grass strip.” On short final the carburetor heat was turned off, and at an altitude of about five feet the student attempted to use power to maintain altitude. The engine did not respond and the student pilot did not reapply the carburetor heat. Subsequently, the airplane touched down short of the intended touchdown point. The CFI was unable to reach the controls prior to the aircraft nosing over. The CFI stated that he had previous experiences with the airplane failing to respond to throttle inputs during landing and that he should have known not to turn off the carburetor heat on short final. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail assembly. The CFI reported that there were no known mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident. When plotted on a carburetor icing probability chart, the temperature and dew point fell within an area of the graph noting "Moderate icing cruise power or serious icing glide power."

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR10CA334