Luscombe 8A N37012 accident near Indiantown, Florida

Probable cause

An inadequate annual inspection that failed to detect a damaged rudder cable which resulted in the cable's subsequent failure during takeoff.

NTSB analysis

The Luscombe 8A was taking off from a turf runway, and had climbed to an altitude of about 10 feet above ground level, when the left rudder cable failed. The airplane yawed to the right and the left wing and nose contacted the ground. The airplane subsequently came to rest on the right side of the runway and sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left rudder cable had separated at the first pulley under the cabin floor. The separated end of the cable was frayed and displayed evidence of corrosion. The airplane had been operated for about 25 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 11 months prior to the accident. At the time of the inspection, a mechanic noted that the control cables were inspected for damage per a required Airworthiness Directive.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for NYC08CA205 for the full record.