Luscombe 8F accident near Douglas, Arizona, August 3, 1996
On August 3, 1996 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Luscombe 8F, registered N1616Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Douglas, Arizona (Bisbee Douglas Int'L 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 failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing roll. A contributing factor was the pilot's inexperience in the type aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1996 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Douglas, Arizona · Bisbee Douglas Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8F · all 8Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1616Z · no longer on the register · serial S-72
- 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 making a full-stop landing with a reasonable quartering right crosswind of about 15 knots. During the landing roll, when he had slowed to about 30 knots, an unusual noise caused him to glance into the cockpit. When he looked up, the aircraft was veering to the left and he input right rudder and brake. The control input, together with the crosswind, resulted in over-correction and the aircraft ground looped to the right. The pilot had made about 13 landings in this aircraft type prior to the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,673 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,443 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 28, 1995; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P04 Bisbee AZ at 6:15 pm
- Destination: DUG
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 7,292 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:42 pm from DUG
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 N1616Z 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.