Luscombe 8 accident near Orofino, Idaho, May 3, 2019
On May 3, 2019 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1939 Luscombe 8, registered N22052, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Orofino, Idaho (Orofino Muni 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 improper brake application during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent experience using heel brakes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2019 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Orofino, Idaho · Orofino Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8 A, built 1939 · all 8s on the register
- Registration
- N22052 · registry record · serial 878
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he decided to perform a high-speed taxi after repairs had been made to the tailwheel-equipped airplane "to verify controls and instrumentation," but the airplane became airborne, and he decided that the safest action was to fly one pattern and land. He reported that, during the landing roll, the ground speed decreased to about 3 knots, the brakes locked up, and the airplane then nosed over. The pilot added that the airplane was equipped with heel brakes and that it had been 13 years since he had flown a tailwheel-equipped airplane with heel brakes. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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 Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,027 hours in all; 229 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 926 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 7, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,883 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C75-12F (piston); 616 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S68 Orofino ID at 8:30 pm
- Destination: S68 Orofino ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 am from KLWS, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 4, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Witness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | 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.
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.