Accident Overview
On July 21, 2015, about 1925 central daylight time, a Luscombe L8 airplane, registration N2789K, departed the right side of the runway during takeoff at Perry Municipal Airport (F22) in Perry, Oklahoma. The airplane subsequently impacted a ditch. The commercial-rated pilot sustained serious injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, and no flight plan had been filed.
Pilot and Witness Accounts
The 85-year-old pilot stated that earlier on the day of the accident, he had completed two separate trips around the airport traffic pattern. Before the accident flight, he sat in the airplane for a "lengthy" period while waiting for the engine to be started by hand-propping. The heat index at the time was 105°F. The pilot recalled taxiing to the end of the runway and advancing the throttle forward, after which he reported "everything going black" and had no further recollection of events.
A witness observed the airplane taxi to the end of the runway, where the engine sounded as though it reached full throttle. The airplane then proceeded down the runway. Approximately 400 to 500 feet from the start of the takeoff roll, the airplane veered off the runway, crossed an open area, a closed diagonal runway, a taxiway, and entered a drainage ditch. The witness noted no indications of braking, steering, or an attempted liftoff.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducted an on-scene examination of the wreckage. The inspector reported that the engine throttle control was found in the full throttle position during the examination.