What happened
On May 7, 2006, a Luscombe 8A, registration N2837K, was performing a private VFR flight from Weston Aerodrome back to Navan Airfield. During the final approach to the eastbound grass runway, the pilot experienced a sudden drop in airspeed from 55 mph to 50 mph, accompanied by a leftward drift from the centerline.
In an attempt to recover, the pilot applied full power and lowered the nose; however, the aircraft failed to regain sufficient speed or altitude. The aircraft struck a wooden fence post, causing significant damage to the fuselage and tail section. After bouncing across a field, the aircraft struck a second post and eventually came to rest in a deep, vegetated ditch. Both the pilot and the passenger evacuated the aircraft without injury, though the aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair.
The investigation
The AAIU examined the wreckage and the flight sequence to determine why the aircraft failed to maintain its approach. Investigators analyzed the damage to the airframe, noting that the impact with the first post severely weakened the connection between the empennage and the fuselage. The propeller also showed evidence of a vertical slice through a second post, with damage indicating the engine was producing significant power at the moment of impact.
Technical testing of the engine was conducted following the accident. The engine was found to be in good working order, and ground runs demonstrated that the engine was capable of reaching the required RPM. No mechanical defects were found that would have prevented the delivery of full power. Furthermore, meteorological data from Met Éireann showed stable conditions with no evidence of significant windshear or convective activity in the area at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The pilot's reaction to the initial loss of airspeed was delayed, leaving insufficient altitude and energy to execute a recovery.
- The aircraft's speed dropped to within 5 mph of its stalling speed, placing it on the wrong side of the power curve.
- The pilot's failure to promptly apply full power and pitch the nose forward prevented the acquisition of the necessary airspeed to maintain the approach.
- While the pilot attributed the event to sustained windshear, meteorological records indicated that significant windshear was unlikely to have been present.