NTSB Factual Report

On 27 August, 2004, approximately 1445 mountain daylight time, a Luscombe 8A, N1983B, experienced a main gear collapse during the landing roll at Nampa Municipal Airport, Nampa, Idaho. The certified flight instructor and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the passenger, sustained substantial damage. The local 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, which was being operated in visual meteorological conditions, departed the same airport about 35 minutes earlier. No flight plan had been filed.

According to both occupants, the flight instructor had come to the Nampa Airport with another individual who was in the process of buying the subject aircraft. The purpose of the flight was for the instructor to familiarize himself with the aircraft, so that that he could give instruction to the new owner as they both flew it back to Texas. During the accident flight, the current owner of the aircraft, who is also a certified flight instructor, rode along with the instructor pilot who had come with the buyer, but he was not there to provide instruction or to act as pilot-in-command. After flying the aircraft around the local area for a short period, the instructor who accompanied the purchaser executed one touch-and-go landing, and then went around the traffic pattern for another. During the landing roll of the second landing, the aircraft started veering from side to side, and then entered what the pilot called an "aggravated pilot induced oscillation." He therefore applied full aft stick in order to get more tail wheel authority. According to this pilot, as he pulled the stick aft, he "inadvertently added left aileron," which raised the right wing. At that point in the landing sequence, the aircraft began to veer off the right side of the runway, and the pilot applied full left rudder, significant left brake, and full power. According to him, these inputs were not sufficient to straighten the track of the aircraft, which departed the right side of the runway. Soon after departing the runway, the aircraft encountered soft terrain, and the left main gear collapsed.

In a telephone conversation with the NTSB, the pilot who had been at the controls stated that he had been "slow to recognize" the situation that lead to the loss of control. During the investigation it was determined that this pilot's total previous experience in a Luscombe was one hour.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include the pilot's very low total time in this make and model aircraft (one hour), and the soft terrain the aircraft encountered along the side of the runway.