Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A accident near Gordonsville, Virginia, June 26, 2010
On June 26, 2010 at about 3:10 pm local time, a Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A, registered N1516B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Gordonsville, Virginia (Gordonsville 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control, and his excessive braking during the landing rollout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2010 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Gordonsville, Virginia · Gordonsville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A · all LUSCOMBE 8As on the register
- Registration
- N1516B · no longer on the register · serial 6143
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, during the landing roll on runway 23, he overcompensated for a left crosswind and the tailwheel-equipped airplane departed the right side of the runway. The student pilot also stated that he applied brake pressure “too forcefully,” and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and tail section. The student pilot further reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. He also reported 82 hours of total flight experience, 25 of which were in make and model. The winds reported around the time of the accident, about 8 miles northeast of the accident site, were from 170 degrees at 4 knots.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 82 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,470 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGVE Gordonsville VA
- Destination: KGVE Gordonsville VA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 23, 2,300 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:20 pm from KOMH, 8 miles away
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.