Luscombe 8E accident near Apex, North Carolina, May 3, 2011
On May 3, 2011 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Luscombe 8E, registered N1902K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Apex, North Carolina (Deck Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s excessive application of the brakes, which caused the airplane to nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2011 · about 6:15 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Apex, North Carolina · Deck Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E · all 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N1902K · registry record · serial 4629
- 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 he was conducting a full-stop landing. He executed a normal landing, lowered the tail and was rolling fast. The airplane was on the center line with 300 to 400 feet of runway remaining. He stated that he applied the brakes aggressively, which lifted the tail and caused the propeller to strike the ground. The airplane then flipped over and came to rest inverted, substantially damaging the vertical stabilizer and wings. A postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the landing gear
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,353 hours in all; 53 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 8, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2011; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Parkton NC at 5:15 pm
- Destination: NC11 Apex NC
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 04, 1,950 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from RDU, 11 miles away
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 October 17, 2011. 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, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports; FAA Inspectors Statement. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1902K on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Luscombe 8 Silvaire 1,420 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Luscombe 1,472 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES 4,672 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Deck Airpark · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,123 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA11CA281.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.