On July 27, 2000, a Luscombe 8A (registration N71620) was involved in an aviation accident near Kingfisher, OK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during final approach in thunderstorm conditions, which resulted in a descent into terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An airplane descended into terrain while attempting to land in adverse weather, despite the pilot applying full power to arrest the descent near the runway.
What happened
The flight was operating under visual meteorological conditions that included active thunderstorms and rain showers moving toward the airport. During the final approach phase, the aircraft was approximately 200 feet from the runway threshold when it encountered a significant downdraft. In response to the sudden loss of altitude, the pilot applied full power to the engines. Despite this maximum thrust application, the descent could not be arrested. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in a level attitude.
The investigation
The factual narrative indicates that the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude despite full power application during the final moments of the approach. The impact occurred with the aircraft in a level attitude, suggesting no significant pitch or bank angle at the moment of collision with the terrain.
Findings
Contributing factors included the thunderstorms and rain showers present in the area, which generated a downdraft affecting the aircraft's energy state. The pilot's application of full power was insufficient to counteract the sink rate caused by the weather phenomenon at that specific altitude and configuration.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during final approach in thunderstorm conditions, which resulted in a descent into terrain.