What happened
The pilot was operating an aircraft for the owner, traveling to Logan, Utah. At the time of the incident, the pilot had accumulated approximately 10 hours of total flight time specifically in the Luscombe model. The flight concluded with a landing on runway 17. During the rollout phase, the pilot reported that the airplane began to weather vane slightly. As the pilot applied the wheel brakes to slow the aircraft, the nose gear collapsed, causing the airplane to nosed over.
The investigation
Investigation of the incident included an assessment of the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. At 1650 MDT, wind reports for Logan indicated a wind direction from 180 degrees at a speed of 5 knots. These conditions were sufficient to induce lateral movement during the rollout phase.
Findings
The primary factors contributing to the incident included the pilot's limited experience in the specific aircraft type and the aerodynamic forces acting on the airplane during the landing rollout. The combination of crosswind or tailwind components and brake application led to the loss of directional control and subsequent nose-over.