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Atlas / NTSB / LAX95LA247

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event LAX95LA247

1995-07-09 COLUMBIA, California, United States Airport · O22 None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N1050K

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

LUSCOMBE 8E

Year of manufacture

1946 · 49 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR C85 SERIES (85 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19560220

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A019A9

Registrant of record

LYNDEN AERONAUTICAL SERVICES LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

the pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusty crosswind condition and failure to maintain directional control.

Factual narrative

On July 9, 1995, at 1120 hours Pacific daylight time, a Luscombe 8E, N1050K, sustained substantial damage during a landing roll ground loop at Columbia, California. The aircraft was operated by the pilot and was on a cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight. Neither the certificated private pilot nor her passenger were injured. The flight originated from the Reid-Hillview Airport, San Jose, California, about 1010 on the day of the accident. The pilot reported that the aircraft encountered a gusty crosswind during the landing flare. She said that the aircraft touched down abruptly and that she lost directional control. After directional control was lost, the aircraft ground looped. The right main landing gear collapsed and both the propeller and right wing contacted the ground. The pilot and passenger exited the aircraft without difficulty. Downdrafts were not forecast at the destination airport. After the aircraft came to rest, fuel was observed leaking out around the left main tank fuel cap. THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A GUSTY CROSSWIND DURING THE LANDING FLARE, TOUCHED DOWN ABRUPTLY, AND LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED, WHICH COLLAPSED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND DAMAGED THE PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1995_LAX95LA247.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.