Luscombe 8 accident near Sevierville, Tennessee, July 2, 2019
On July 2, 2019 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1946 Luscombe 8, registered N2352K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sevierville, Tennessee (Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and right main landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2019 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sevierville, Tennessee · Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8 E, built 1946 · all 8s on the register
- Registration
- N2352K · no longer on the register · serial 5079
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had purchased the tailwheel-equipped airplane the day before the accident and was practicing maneuvers and landings. During his fifth wheel landing in calm wind, the pilot felt and heard a rumble that he reported sounded like a "machine gun" when the tailwheel touched down. The airplane continued to track the centerline for about 5 to 6 seconds but then veered right. Subsequently, the pilot applied left rudder, the airplane veered left off the runway, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right-wing spar sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain. Examination of the tailwheel assembly revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded the pilot from maintaining directional control of the airplane; however, the chain and spring assembly on the tailwheel were loose, which likely contributed to the rumble that the pilot experienced when the tailwheel touched down.
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 (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 439 hours in all; 8.8 in this make and model; 439 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 0.5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,813 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12F (piston); 3,809 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GKT Sevierville TN at 12:15 pm
- Destination: GKT Sevierville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:40 pm from KGKT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 20, 2019. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - (PIC) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - (FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 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.