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Atlas / NTSB / MIA94LA096

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event MIA94LA096

1994-03-18 WIMAUMA, Florida, United States Airport · FD77 Serious 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N71891

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

LUSCOMBE 8A

Year of manufacture

1946 · 48 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19570313

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A99D72

Registrant of record

EMERY KYLE WHITNEY

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PERSON REMOVING THE CHOCK TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE FROM THE PROPELLER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE TOTAL LACK OF EXPERIENCE BY PERSON ON GROUND.

Factual narrative

On March 18, 1994, about 0810 eastern standard time, a Luscombe 8A, N71891, registered to Horace Riggs, was involved in an accident while initiating a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot was not injured, and the ground attendant sustained a serious injury while removing the chock from the left side of the airplane. The pilot was preparing to taxi as the ground attendant untied the tail tie down rope and removed the left wheel chock. The attendant turned to walk away from the airplane and his right arm was struck by the propeller. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS INITIATING A SIGHT SEEING RIDE, THE PASSENGER'S FATHER ASSISTED IN UNTYING THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER UNCHOCKING THE LEFT MAIN TIRE, HE TURNED TO WALK-AWAY WHEN HIS RIGHT ARM WAS STRUCK BY THE PROPELLER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1994_MIA94LA096.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.