Luscombe 8A accident near Huntington, Indiana, September 10, 2011
On September 10, 2011 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N71212, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Huntington, Indiana (Huntington Municipal 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 right main landing gear strut due to internal corrosion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2011 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Huntington, Indiana · Huntington Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N71212 · registry record · serial 2639
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had completed a normal landing, and during the landing roll, he heard a "pop noise." He said that the nose veered right, and he applied left rudder, but the right wing dropped and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the separated landing gear strut revealed that the interior of the strut exhibited a rust color consistent with oxidation. The separation was consistent with overload.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 985 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 5, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,176 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 24, 2011
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HHG Huntington IN at 6:25 pm
- Destination: HHG Huntington IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from FWA
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.