Luscombe 8E accident near Houston, Texas, February 19, 2023
On February 19, 2023 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1947 Luscombe 8E, registered N2722K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Houston, Texas (West Houston 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 pilot’s failure to attain/maintain lateral airplane control during landing, which resulted in an impact with the runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2023 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · West Houston Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E, built 1947 · all 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N2722K · registry record · serial 5449
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the landing touchdown was uneventful but that during landing rollout the airplane lurched to the left, rolled inverted, and came to rest on the runway. The pilot stated that the airplane’s left wing strut failed at its midpoint. Airport surveillance video showed that during landing the airplane’s right wing moved upward and the left wing descended and contacted the runway. The airplane then nosed over onto the runway and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the left wing strut revealed that it had failed in overload from having contacted the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,114 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,020 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 3, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,500 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, January 15, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Carburetor 85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYW Lago Vista TX at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,953 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from TME, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2024. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Airport Surveillance Video 1 of 3 | video | View Download |
| 3 | Airport Surveillance Video 2 of 3 | video | View Download |
| 4 | Airport Surveillance Video 3 of 3 | video | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversation - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 7 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.