Luscombe 8-A accident near Palmetto, Florida, January 7, 1999
On January 7, 1999 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Luscombe 8-A, registered N1231K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmetto, Florida (Manatee airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the wheel fairing attach bolts that resulted in the loss of control during the landing roll when the fairing became lodged under the left wheel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 1999 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Palmetto, Florida · Manatee
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8-A · all 8-As on the register
- Registration
- N1231K · registry record · serial 3958
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during the first few landings he had felt a vibration. On the accident landing, the left wheel faring failed and went under the wheel. The airplane skidded approximately 30 feet and nosed-over damaging the prop, windshield, right wing, and the vertical stabilizer. Examination of the airplane revealed that there were no mechanical failures. The left wheel faring attach screws on the inside had sheared off, and the attach bolt on the outside had pulled through the fiberglass on the faring. The same damage was noted on the right faring except that it remained partially attached. Additionally, there were tire marks in the grass and sand made by the left and right main tires, which indicated that the brakes were applied at a slow speed. The marks terminated at the point were the airplane nosed-over.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 123 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 61 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,207 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1998; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,195 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 48X at 9:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from SRQ, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL99LA039.