Accident Details
On October 7, 2015, about 1130 Pacific daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Silvaire Luscombe 8F, registration N9918C, veered off the runway surface during the landing roll at Georgetown Airport (E36), Georgetown, California. The pilot, who was the registered owner of the airplane, and the flight instructor sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Flight Information
The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from E36 about 1115. The pilot had conducted two flights that day in the same airplane; the first flight was solo, and the second flight was with the flight instructor for the purpose of a biennial flight review.
Pilot and Instructor Setup
During the second flight, the pilot assumed the role of pilot-in-command because the flight instructor's medical certificate was not current. However, 14 CFR 61.23(b)(5) states that a person is not required to hold a medical certificate when exercising flight instructor privileges if not acting as pilot-in-command or as a required flight crewmember. The airplane was equipped with a bench seat adjusted for the pilot's height. The flight instructor, who was shorter than the pilot, was unable to reach the rudder pedals. Before the flight, the pilot offered to obtain a cushion for the instructor, but the instructor declined.
Accident Sequence
The pilot stated that the departure and local area flight were uneventful. The three-point landing on runway 34 was normal, but a few seconds later the airplane bounced slightly. The pilot reported that this bounce did not require any rudder pedal input. Shortly afterward, the airplane veered 30 degrees to the right. The pilot applied full power as the airplane exited the right side of the runway and impacted the ground on a downhill slope adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported no pre-impact abnormalities with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.