NTSB CEN13CA411 — 2013-07-14 · Rose Hill, Kansas, United States

Current FAA registration · N1837B

Make / Model: LUSCOMBE 8
Year of manufacture: 1948 · 65 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR C90 SERIES (95 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19570415
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A14F20

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N1837B Luscombe 8 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind, which resulted in a loss of directional control.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, he entered the traffic pattern for runway 17. The wind was favoring runway 19, a turf runway, but he thought the recent rains may have made the runway soft. As he landed the tailwheel airplane on runway 17, the wind switched from the south to the west. The airplane turned to the southwest; he added full left rudder and added power. He was unable to stop the turn and the airplane ground looped. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot, he entered the traffic pattern for runway 17. The wind was favoring runway 19, a turf runway, but he thought the recent rains may have made the runway soft. As he landed the tailwheel airplane on runway 17, the wind switched from the south to the west. The airplane turned to the southwest; he added full left rudder and added power. He was unable to stop the turn and the airplane ground looped. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
F Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation - F

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_CEN13CA411.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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