Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8B accident near Bluefield, West Virginia, October 25, 1997
On October 25, 1997 at about 3:44 pm local time, a Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8B, registered N5PL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bluefield, West Virginia (Mercer County 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 failed to maintain control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 1997 · about 3:44 pm local time
- Place
- Bluefield, West Virginia · Mercer County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8B LUSCOMBE 8 · all LUSCOMBE 8Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5PL · no longer on the register · serial 5395
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot entered a right base leg for runway 23 with the winds from the south/southeast. He recalled that the approach was normal, but 'added power to recover from a down draft about 1/4 mile from the threshold.' During the 3 point touch down at normal speed, the airplane immediately veered to the right, with the left wing and landing gear lifting up. The pilot applied left aileron and rudder, but the airplane drifted off the right side of the runway and continued onto the grass. The right landing gear dropped into a drainage ditch, collapsing the landing gear . The airplane rotated over its nose, coming to rest inverted. Flight control continuity was verified, and the pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 913 hours in all; 68 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 713 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JWN Nashville TN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: BLF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 4,742 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:46 pm from BLF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N5PL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.