Luscombe 8A accident near Paragould, Arkansas, March 20, 2022
On March 20, 2022 at about 3:18 pm local time, a 1948 Luscombe 8A, registered N1953B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Paragould, Arkansas (Kirk Field). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2022 · about 3:18 pm local time
- Place
- Paragould, Arkansas · Kirk Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A, built 1948 · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N1953B · no longer on the register · serial 6380
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he completed four uneventful touch-and-go landings. During the fifth and final landing, the airplane touched down onto the runway and bounced. During recovery, a crosswind lifted the left wing. The airplane ground looped, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The firewall and rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Other weather encounter during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,715 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 2022; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors A65 (piston); 2,691 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from KJBR, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KJBR 201453Z AUTO VRB04KT 10SM CLR 13/06 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP247 T01280061 51016
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | On Scene and Damage Photos - Courtesy of the Federal Aviation Administration | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.