Luscombe 8A accident at Russellville, Arkansas, 20 Aug 1943 (NC-1909)

Accident narrative

On August 20, 1943, a Luscombe 8A, NC 1909, crashed near the Russellville, Arkansas Airport at about 6:25 p.m., seriously injuring the pilot. The aircraft, owned and flown by John Henry Stover, was departing on a cross-country pleasure flight to Little Rock. Stover held a commercial certificate and instructor ratings, with approximately 9,000 solo hours, including 75 in the accident aircraft type.

At an altitude of approximately 300 feet, about 1,000 feet beyond the end of the runway, Stover discovered the fire extinguisher had dislodged from its bracket and was restricting the right rudder pedal. He immediately reached down to remove it and inadvertently rolled the airplane into an inverted position. Though he righted the aircraft, he was unable to avoid high trees on a hill beyond the airport. The plane struck the trees, fell to the ground, and came to rest upright, sustaining extensive damage.

Stover stated that full responsibility for the accident should be placed on him, as it was unnecessary to attempt to remove the extinguisher until he had gained a safe altitude. The Civil Aeronautics Board determined the probable cause was "poor judgment on the part of the pilot, resulting in loss of control at an altitude too low to effect complete recovery," with the loose fire extinguisher noted as a contributing factor.