Luscombe 8E LV-RUM Runway Excursion in General Pico

Overview and Flight Details On 10 April 2019, a privately owned Luscombe 8E with registration LV-RUM departed Aeródromo Intendente Alvear in La Pampa at 13:10 UTC for a general aviation flight to Aeropuerto General Pico. After approximately 30 minutes of flight, the aircraft landed at General Pico at 13:40 UTC. During landing, the structure of the right landing gear fractured and collapsed, causing the aircraft to leave the runway. It came to rest in the left strip and sustained significant damage. ## Personnel and Aircraft Condition The aircraft carried a pilot and one passenger. Neither the pilot nor the passenger sustained injuries. The pilot was a 19-year-old Argentine male holding a private pilot license for single-engine land aircraft and a Class 2 medical certificate valid until 31 July 2019. His total flight time was 171.2 hours, with 113.6 hours in the previous 90 days and 17.0 hours in the previous 30 days. The Luscombe 8E was manufactured in 1947 by Luscombe Airplane Corp. and had a serial number of 5886. Its maximum takeoff and landing weights were 635.0 kg, and its empty weight was 395.0 kg. The airframe had 2,188.4 total hours and 486.4 hours since the last general overhaul. The aircraft was privately owned and held a standard airworthiness certificate in the normal category. ## Damage and Investigation Focus Significant damage was reported to the right landing gear and the right wing. The engine and propeller were undamaged, and no other damage was recorded. The investigation focused on operational safety issues related to the landing-gear structural failure, the use of non-aeronautical components, and the aircraft’s survival equipment. The report included a safety recommendation to the Administración Nacional de Aviación Civil and one operational safety action.