Accident Details
On June 25, 2022, about 1020 eastern daylight time, a Luscombe 8A, registration N77863, sustained substantial damage during a takeoff accident near New Market, Virginia. The commercial pilot was not injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that he was attempting to take off from a 1,550-foot long, upsloping turf airstrip. At the time, the wind was from a 3-knot left-quartering headwind, and the ambient temperature was 80°F. As the airplane lifted off, the engine sputtered for about 3 seconds. The airplane did not gain sufficient altitude, and the right main landing gear and right horizontal stabilizer struck the top of a 4.5-foot high fence located about 60 feet from the departure end of the runway. After clearing the fence, the airplane settled into a field on the other side. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear impacted a groundhog hole and collapsed.
Examination
Initial examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer. Further examination of the engine was planned after recovery from the field, but the pilot did not respond to subsequent requests regarding the engine's disposition. The pilot was also unable to produce maintenance and pilot logbooks for examination.
Aircraft Background
The Luscombe 8A was manufactured in 1946. The Owner's Handbook indicated a take-off distance of 625 feet on a hard turf surface. More recent publications listed a takeoff ground roll of 1,050 feet; however, none of the data accounted for an upsloping turf runway, an ambient temperature of 80°F, or the distance required to clear a 4.5-foot obstacle.