Accident Details
On October 24, 2015, at approximately 1510 mountain standard time, a Luscombe 8A, registration N25100, sustained substantial damage during a ground loop while landing at Ernest A. Love Field Airport in Prescott, Arizona. The pilot, who owned the airplane, was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 on a personal cross-country flight. The certified flight instructor and a passenger were not injured. The flight had departed Gallup Municipal Airport, Gallup, New Mexico, around 1245 with a planned destination of Prescott. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan had been filed.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that as he approached the destination airport, he maneuvered for a straight-in approach to runway 21L. The approach was slightly higher than his normal glide slope, so he configured the airplane into a left slip to lose altitude. After becoming established, he maintained a left crab angle to compensate for an approximate 7-knot left crosswind. He set up for a three-point landing and touched down on the centerline. During the landing roll, the airplane decelerated to about 15 mph and began to veer left. The pilot applied full rudder input to counteract the veer, but the airplane ground looped. The pilot opined that the loss of control was precipitated by a tailwheel malfunction.
Aircraft and Tailwheel Examination
The Luscombe 8A was equipped with a Scott 3-24B tailwheel (also known as Scott 2000), a steerable six-inch rubber tire assembly with full-swivel capability. The rudder control horns connected via chains to the assembly, which used spring pressure to hold steering arms into machined flats on the wheel fork. As the wheel pivots to its travel limit, it contacts a stop on the fork bracket, releasing the assembly to allow the wheel to caster freely.
After the accident, the airplane came to rest on the edge of the runway with the right landing gear collapsed under the fuselage. The tailwheel steering chains remained attached to their respective rudder horns and steering arms, but the tailwheel had rotated over 180 degrees and was canted to the left, causing the chains to cross over one another. The steering arms appeared bent upwards.
An FAA-certified airframe and powerplant mechanic examined the tailwheel and noted that the tailwheel was turned 180 degrees from its normal configuration. The right steering arm was bent upwards, which allowed it to clear over the stop and permit the steering head to continue to the reversed position rather than unlock to caster freely. Under this condition, the tailwheel direction of movement would be opposite that commanded by the pilot. The mechanic also found that the leaf spring assembly was loose, potentially allowing a shudder to develop. After the examination, he repaired the assembly and reconfigured the steering arms to their correct straight position, enabling them to contact the stops and release the wheel to caster freely with the steering chains remaining on their respective sides.
Other Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the pilot purchased the airplane on the day of the accident and reported having accumulated about 200 hours of flight time in the same make and model.
A complete report with accompanying photographs is attached to the public docket for this accident.