Luscombe 8A accident near Resaca, Georgia, July 12, 2001
On July 12, 2001 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N71917, was substantially damaged in an accident near Resaca, Georgia (Zack Airstrip airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certificated flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a turning maneuver, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with terrain. A factor was the loading of the airplane over maximum gross weight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2001 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Resaca, Georgia · Zack Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N71917 · no longer on the register · serial 3344
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor and the student pilot executed a takeoff, and the airplane's climb attitude appeared flat with a slow rate of climb. A witness on the ground observed the airplane make a steep left turn then spiral into trees and the ground. The witness reported hearing the engine cut out briefly; another witness reported hearing the engine rev up. The wreckage was found in an approximate 90-degree nose-down attitude, and a fuel odor was present. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. The empty weight for the airplane was 761 pounds, and the maximum gross weight was 1,260 pounds. The certificated flight instructor weighed 200 pounds, the student pilot weighed 270 pounds, and the airplane had about 42 pounds of fuel, resulting in a calculated gross weight of 1,293 pounds.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 11, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 24 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0A5 Resaca GA at 10:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 2,900 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from CHA, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.