Luscombe 8 accident near Terrell, Texas, April 22, 2009
On April 22, 2009 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Luscombe 8, registered N2330K, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Terrell, Texas (Airpark East Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the landing gear due to undetected corrosion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2009 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Terrell, Texas · Airpark East Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8 C · all 8s on the register
- Registration
- N2330K · no longer on the register · serial 5057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot had just landed on a 2,630-foot-long by 30-foot-wide asphalt runway with a direct tailwind at 5 knots. The tailwheel was down and the airplane had slowed to a taxi speed when the right landing gear separated from the right landing gear leg, then both wingtips struck the ground causing substantial damage to both wings, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that he thinks the axle failed because of hidden corrosion inside the landing gear tubing that was not detectable during a normal preflight inspection.
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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined
- Aircraft structural failure during taxi (from runway) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear strut/axle › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,735 hours in all; 522 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 3,704 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 3, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 615 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 2008; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 17F Terrell TX at 9:45 pm
- Destination: 17F Terrell TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,630 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.