Luscombe 8 N77863 accident near New Market, Virginia

Probable cause

Impact with a fence during an attempted takeoff from a short, uphill turf airstrip.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the vintage tailwheel airplane was attempting a takeoff from an uphill 1,550-ft-long turf airstrip, with a 3-knot left-quartering headwind and in an 80° F ambient temperature. The airplane lifted off at the end of the airstrip; however, the right main landing gear and right horizontal stabilizer impacted the top of a 4.5-ft high fence. The airplane then settled into a field on the other side of the fence and during the landing roll, the right main gear impacted a groundhog hole and collapsed.

Initial examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that the engine sputtered for about 3 seconds before collision with the fence and additional examination of the engine was planned following recovery of the wreckage from the field; however, the pilot did not respond to subsequent requests regarding the disposition of the engine for examination. He also was unable to produce maintenance and pilot logbooks for examination. Whether an engine anomaly may have contributed to the accident could not be determined.

Review of the airplane’s owner’s handbook revealed a published takeoff distance of 625 ft on a hard turf surface. More recent publications listed a takeoff ground roll of 1,050 ft; however, none of the data accounted for performance considerations such as an upsloping turf runway, high ambient temperatures, or distance to clear obstacles.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA292 for the full record.