Luscombe 8A accident near Wahoo, Nebraska, January 18, 2002
On January 18, 2002 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N71677, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wahoo, Nebraska (Wahoo Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student, who was a private pilot, used excessive braking during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2002 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wahoo, Nebraska · Wahoo Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N71677 · no longer on the register · serial 3104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed down on the runway during the landing roll. The purpose of the flight was for the student to receive instruction for a tailwheel endorsement. The student reported that they had spent about one hour practicing takeoff and landings on the grass runway. The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student was progressing very well so they decided to switch to the concrete runway. The CFI reported that the second landing on the concrete runway was normal. He reported that as the airplane slowed during the landing roll, it nosed down despite "...elevator efforts to stop it." The CFI reported that the student pilot either over braked or the brake system was not functioning properly. The student reported, "On second landing, during rollout, either I pushed too much brake or we both pushed the same brake and the aircraft nosed over." Post accident inspection of the airplane failed to reveal any failure/malfunction of the brake system which would have resulted in the excessive braking.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 38,800 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 10,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 28, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 167 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 9, 2001; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Lincoln NE at 6:15 pm
- Destination: AHQ Wahoo NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,101 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from LNK, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.