On February 1, 1987, a Luscombe 8A (registration N1130B) operated by Dawn M. Holbrook was involved in an aviation accident near Riverside, CA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A Luscombe 8A ground looped during landing roll after the pilot heard a pop; the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing was damaged. A broken left rudder cable was found, with 42 of 49 wires showing fatigue.
Accident Sequence
A Luscombe 8A aircraft experienced a ground loop during the landing roll after its third landing. The pilot reported hearing a "pop" sound during the roll. Subsequently, the aircraft veered to the right, causing the left main landing gear to collapse and damaging the left wing.
Post-Accident Investigation
The student pilot, who also holds an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic certificate, discovered that the left rudder cable was broken. The cable was sent to a metallurgical laboratory for examination.
Cable Examination Findings
Metallurgical analysis revealed that 42 of the 49 wires in the cable exhibited fatigue characteristics at the breaks, while the remaining 7 wires were entirely overstress fractures. The wire breaks occurred within 0.5 inches of each other near a pulley.