Luscombe 8E accident near Jupiter, FL
On February 28, 2021, a Luscombe 8E (airplane) was involved in an accident near Jupiter, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 28, 2021
- Place
- Jupiter, FL
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 26.978°N, 80.212°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210228102683
Official records · ERA21FA142
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On February 28, 2021, at 1230 eastern standard time, a Luscombe 8E, N2960K, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Jupiter, Florida. The pilot was fatally injured and the pilot-rated passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. A witness reported that the pilot spent 45 minutes performing engine runups in front of his hangar the day prior to the accident and that on the day of the accident, the pilot, and his pilot-rated passenger, departed from the 2,700-ft paved runway at Tailwinds Airport (FD15). A witness, located near the midpoint of the runway, recorded video of the takeoff and stated that the engine sounded “strong” as the tailwheel airplane lifted off. The recording showed that as the airplane passed in front of the camera, the left engine cowling was open and flapping. A reduction in engine power was heard and the airplane leveled off about 30 ft above ground level (see figure 1). As the airplane leveled off, the engine power was reduced further and the airplane appeared to descend toward the runway. Engine power then increased and the airplane began to climb; the wings rocked during the level off and subsequent climb before the airplane made a gradual left turn to the north and disappeared out of camera view. Figure 1 – Still frame from video showing the accident airplane during takeoff. Note open left engine cowling. Witness accounts of the engine operation were inconsistent. Reports variously indicated that the engine was running rough, that it lost
Probable cause
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which led to an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane, resulting in an unsecured engine cowl that likely distracted the pilot during takeoff.
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Browse: Florida · Luscombe aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
