On March 22, 1997, a Luscombe 8A (registration N1184K) was involved in an aviation accident near Arlington, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Landing long (improper touchdown point) and collapse of the main landing gear during an intentional swerve or groundloop. Factors include excessive airspeed on approach. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot landing on a 1500-foot grass runway kept too much airspeed, landed long, and could not slow due to poor brakes. The right landing gear collapsed at low speed, and the aircraft ground-looped beyond the runway end.
Landing Approach
The pilot stated that he was landing on a 1500-foot long grass runway. During the approach, to avoid glider operations, he kept too much airspeed and subsequently landed long on the grass, which he described as freshly cut.
Braking and Steering Attempt
The pilot noted that Luscombes have notoriously bad brakes and they did not slow him down sufficiently after touchdown. As no airplanes were at the end of the runway, he opted to try to steer to the left.
Landing Gear Collapse
The right landing gear collapsed at about 15-20 miles per hour.
Witness Observations
Witnesses observed that the airplane failed to slow down and ground-looped beyond the end of the runway.