What happened
On 24 December 2008, a Luscombe 8A Silvaire, registration G-AKTN, was involved in a landing accident at Clacton Airfield, Essex. The flight was being conducted as a private operation. During the landing roll, the pilot experienced an unusually long float period before the aircraft contacted the runway. Following touchdown, the pilot attempted to decelerate the aircraft by applying the brakes at a speed of approximately 20 mph. During this process, the brakes initially failed to respond and subsequently locked. Because the aircraft is a tailwheel configuration, this sudden braking caused the aircraft to pitch forward and overturn onto its back.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the landing and the pilot's experience with the aircraft type. It was noted that the weather conditions were favorable, with winds below 5 knots and a QNH of 1029 mb. The pilot had recently completed a check flight on this specific model only a few weeks prior to the event. At the time of the accident, the pilot held a Private Pilot’s Licence and had a total of 164 flying hours, but only 2 hours of experience on the Luscombe 8A Silvaire. The investigation also considered the mechanical behavior of the braking system and the lack of flaps on this particular aircraft model.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the locking of the brakes on a tailwheel aircraft, which induced the nose-over.
- The pilot's limited experience on this specific aircraft type contributed to the incident.
- The aircraft's lack of flaps resulted in a longer-than-expected float period prior to touchdown.
- The pilot's failure to slow down sufficiently after touchdown was a contributing factor.