Luscombe 8A accident near Tucson, Arizona, June 23, 2014
On June 23, 2014 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1946 Luscombe 8A, registered N77917, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson Intl 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 student pilot's use of excessive brakes during taxi, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2014 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A A, built 1946 · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N77917 · registry record · serial 3644
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot was taxiing in a tailwheel equipped airplane for takeoff on the second leg of a solo cross-country flight. During the taxi, she noticed she was approaching a hold short line and applied the brakes to stop at the line. She said while depressing the heel brakes her foot became wedged and she pressed the brake harder than necessary. The tail of the airplane came up, dropping the nose to the ground. The airplane hesitated with its tail in the air for a moment, and then fell over on its back. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and the fuselage.
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 taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 185 hours in all; 115 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 19, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,351 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 1,350 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTUS Tucson AZ at 5:15 pm
- Destination: KTUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.