Luscombe Safety Record

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during his attempted landing and his loss of situational awareness that led to him to misidentify a pipeline field for the landing airpark.

The pilot's failure to maintain yaw control and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat for takeoff, which resulted in an interruption of continuous fuel flow to the engine and a loss of engine power during climb. Also causal was the lack of required placarding warning of the need to use full carburetor heat on takeoff and landing.

The loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in a stall. Contributing to the accident was the stuck exhaust valve resulting in the partial loss of engine power.

A partial loss of power due to the use of automotive gasoline that contained ethanol, which was prohibited by the operating limitations. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/owner's failure to obtain and comply with the applicable operating limitations.

The loss of engine power due to fatigue fracture of the number two cylinder exhaust valve during initial climb after takeoff. A contributing factor was the unsuitable terrain (cornfield) encountered during the forced landing.

The pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude resulting in an undershoot of the runway and collision with a fence. A fence was a factor in the accident.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain while attempting to fly a non-IFR equipped aircraft solely by reference to its instruments after the aircraft's windshield became coated with freezing rain in cruise flight. A factor was the pilot's improper inflight decision to continue VFR flight in an area where rain showers where taking place while ambient temperatures where indicated to be within one degree of freezing. Additional factors include freezing rain, an iced-over windshield, and tree-covered rising terrain.

The pilot's inadequate in-flight decision, and the subsequent inadvertent stall/mush. Factors were the pilot's lack of total experience in mountain flying, the high density altitude, and downdraft weather conditions.

The pilot's inadequate terrain clearance during the initial climb, and the inadvertent stall/spin during the turn to avoid terrain. A factor in this accident was the pilot exceeding the allowable maximum gross weight of the airplane.

THE FAILURE OF THE PERSON REMOVING THE CHOCK TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE FROM THE PROPELLER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE TOTAL LACK OF EXPERIENCE BY PERSON ON GROUND.