N2850K – LUSCOMBE 8 – 2016-06-12 NTSB Accident Report

On June 12, 2016, a Luscombe 8 (N2850K) was involved in an incident near Valparaiso, IN. 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: The pilot's improper descent rate during landing, which resulted in a bounced landing, failure of the tailwheel suspension leaf spring, a ground loop, and substantial damage to the left wing.

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during landing the airplane bounced, subsequently the leaf spring on the tail wheel broke midspan. The pilot further reported that the airplane veered to the right despite full left rudder deflection and brake application, which resulted in a ground loop, left main landing gear collapse, and substantial damage to the left wing.

The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA16CA307. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2850K.