N77989Luscombe 8A · 1946

On February 11, 2025, about 1010 eastern standard time, a Luscombe 8A, N77989, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Hampton Airfield (7B3), Hampton, New Hampshire. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot had planned a brief local flight, and despite noting a slight tailwind was prevailing for runway 2 at 7B3, elected to depart on that runway as other traffic at the airport was already utilizing it. After performing some maneuvers, he returned to the departure airport with the carburetor heat activated and approached runway 2 for landing. During the landing approach, the pilot felt as though the airplane’s “…sink rate was high and felt like I possibly had a downwind condition or carburetor icing condition.” He aborted the landing attempt, and with the carburetor heat still engaged, the pilot described that the airplane’s climb rate was poor (200 fpm vs. its usual 1,100 fpm). The pilot then proceeded around the airport traffic pattern for a “short approach” to runway 2. While on short final approach to land, the airplane’s left wing dropped and it felt to the pilot as if the ailerons were not responding. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane but it subsequently impacted a tree.

An airport surveillance video depicted the pilot’s initial low approach to runway 02, after which it exited from the camera’s view behind a row of hangars. When the airplane came back into view, the airplane was just above the runway, in a steep right bank, nose up attitude, with the right wingtip near the runway and the left main landing gear and left wing in the air. The airplane then began to climb at a relatively low speed and relatively high pitch angle. When the airplane came back into the frame, it was on a low-altitude downwind leg with the windsock showing a right quartering headwind (or a right quartering tailwind relative to runway 02). The airplane then began a continuous descending left turnback toward the runway before descending below a tree line and out of the camera’s view.

A second video from a residential security camera located about 575 ft from the approach end of runway 2 showed the airplane immediately before it impacted the ground. The airplane was in a steep left wing and nose down attitude, and was in a steep angle of descent. The airplane subsequently impacted a stand of trees and the ground. During the video, the engine could be heard running at a constant rate with no appreciable change in sound until it impacted the trees.

The airplane’s fuselage, wings, and tail were substantially damaged during the accident. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the accident site and confirmed continuity of the flight controls. The inspector observed little movement of the left aileron as it was obstructed by tree branches.

Further examination of the wreckage after it had been recovered from the accident site revealed a mixture of automotive fuel and 100 LL aviation fuel in the fuel system. The mixture showed no evidence of water or debris. All the engine’s cylinders had compression when tested with a compression test gauge. Spark was observed on the top spark plugs by rotating the engine’s crankshaft through the firing order. The right magneto was removed, and the impulse coupling was manually rotated, which produced spark to the remaining four spark plugs. The spark plugs exhibited normal wear with no evidence of fouling when compared to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug chart. No evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded normal engine operation.

Examination of the airframe found that the right wingtip had sustained flattening impact damage at the outboard rear corner. The left wing had leading edge damage consistent with impact. The left lower aileron control cable bracket was found to be fractured into two pieces. Examination of the aileron control cable attach bracket found evidence of fracture consistent with ductile overstress. The bracket was bent adjacent to the fracture consistent with out-of-plane bending loads. The empennage sustained impact damage from the stabilizers forward. No evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found with the airframe that would have precluded normal operation.

At 1055, the weather reported at 7B3, about 3 miles east of the accident site, included a temperature of -3°C and a dew point -12°C. The calculated relative humidity at this temperature and dewpoint was 50 percent. Review of the icing probability chart contained within Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 revealed the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were not conducive to carburetor icing.