Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Luscombe 8A Silvaire, N71479: Accident occurred April 03, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

http://registry.faa.gov/N71479

NTSB Identification: ERA12CA269 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, April 03, 2012 in Pittsburgh, PA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/13/2012
Aircraft: LUSCOMBE 8A, registration: N71479
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane at the conclusion of a cross-country flight. He reported that he applied the left brake during the landing roll, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and traveled down an embankment, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and right elevator. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.


WEST DEER — A 90-year-old pilot was able to walk away from the rough landing of his small plane Tuesday evening at Rock Airport.  West Deer police Chief Jon Lape said Paul L. Taylor of West Deer was landing his 56-year-old, single-engine plane about 7:30 p.m. when something went wrong.

Lape said Taylor had flown from Hickory, N.C., about 450 miles south in central North Carolina. Rock Airport was Taylor's destination.   The chief said Taylor was about halfway down the runway, traveling at a relatively low speed, when he veered off the paved landing strip and went over a small grass embankment overlooking the township's Russellton neighborhood.  Lape said emergency responders helped Taylor from his plane and walked him up to the runway where he was examined by paramedics. Taylor declined further medical treatment, Lape said.

Taylor was driven home before a reporter arrived and could not be reached for comment.   Lape said Taylor told police the crash was his fault and was the result of unspecified human error.  The plane remained upright and looked largely undamaged at the bottom of the hill last night. Lape said only the landing gear appeared damaged.  Police will secure the plane until representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration arrive today to investigate.

The plane is a 1946 Model 8A Luscombe that last was certified in 2011 and is owned by Taylor, according to online FAA records. The plane's certification does not expire until 2014.  It was the second time a plane has veered off a runway at Rock Airport in the past year. Two Burrell middle school students, their teacher and a pilot were injured in May when their small plane went off the runway during a takeoff at the opposite end of the runway from Tuesday's crash.

Taylor has a new best friend in his 1946 Luscombe.
This is the 1946 Luscombe Silvaire 8 that landed in Hickory 


Paul Taylor, 90, talks about his vintage airplane and his solo trip from Camden, SC, to Pittsburgh, PA, via Hickory.



HICKORY -  You never know who’s going to drop in at Hickory Municipal Airport, but Paul Taylor surprised everyone when he landed Tuesday afternoon.

Taylor is from Gibsonia, Pa. That’s near Pittsburgh. He was flying a vintage 1946 Luscombe Silvaire 8. It seems like an appropriate airplane for Taylor. You see, he just celebrated his 90th birthday.

“I started flying in 1933,” Taylor said. “I flew solo the first time in 1938.” President Franklin Roosevelt was in the middle of his second term back then.

And Taylor is still flying solo.

He took a Delta flight down to Columbia, S.C., to pick up his new-old plane. Tuesday, he left Camden, S.C., all by himself, and decided to stop over in Hickory. The silver craft and Taylor were the talk of the airport.

Like Taylor, it’s lean. There’s just enough room in the cockpit for two people – two not-so-big people. You put one foot on the stirrup, sit down backwards and sort of swing yourself into the seat.

The Luscombe has twin sticks and is loaded with the basic gauges – altimeter, airspeed indicator, attitude, oil pressure and the like. Taylor happily points out what does what, including the throttle, magneto switch and the new GPS mounted under the center strut of the windshield.

“It’s been rebuilt from the ground up,” Taylor said. “They did a wonderful job. Everything has been checked and overhauled. It has a lot of new stuff like the GPS.”

Taylor, who in spite of his years doesn’t wear eyeglasses or a hearing aid, has no trouble keeping up with the technology. His most demanding task is manipulating the rudder and the brakes with the foot pedals. You use your toes and your heels and on landing, it’s almost like they have to move in opposite directions.

“It’s not like a brake pedal in a car,” Taylor said. “You have to do two jobs with each foot.”

He’s quite capable of doing that while keeping his eyes on the horizon and the gauges, plus working the stick.

Taylor brags about the Luscombe’s engine. It’s a four-cylinder Continental. The original Silvaire 8s had a 65-hp engine. This one has 90 horses, and the diminutive plane cruises at about 120 mph.

It’s a tail-dragger, a setup with which Taylor is familiar. He beams about his new acquisition.

“I’ve flown thousands of hours in different aircraft, but this one is a real beauty. I was lucky to get it.”

Taylor was back at the airport Wednesday morning, waiting for the remainder of the overcast to clear. He likes to fly in clear weather these days. He had plenty of company, as several people stopped by to take photos and chat. Taylor loves to chat. Standing straight, he gestures with hands that seem a bit large for his sparse frame. He’ll talk about the Silvaire and flying with anyone. Some of his visitors are pilots, some are not. Everyone gets the same smile and rundown on the plane.

If he wasn’t heading home, he likely would give everybody a spin, or at least a short taxi ride.

But his tanks are topped off, and he’s looking to get airborne as soon as he’s comfortable with the weather.

“I’ll keep flying as long as I can,” he said. “I love it.”

Does he have qualms about flying alone to Pennsylvania?

“No, I’ve never been afraid to take off by myself. I like flying solo. Doesn’t bother me a bit.”

Well, at 90, he is the most experienced pilot he knows.

About the plane
Crew: 1
Capacity: 1 passenger
Length: 20 feet
Wingspan: 35 feet
Height: 6 feet, 3 inches
Wing area: 140 square feet
Empty weight: 870 pounds
Gross weight: 1,400 pounds
Fuel capacity: 25 gallons
Engine: Continental air-cooled flat four, 90 hp
Propellers: 2-bladed metal fixed pitch, 5 feet, 11 inches
Maximum speed: 128 mph
Cruise speed: 120 mph
Range: 500 statute miles
Top altitude: 17,000 feet

NOTE: These are the specifications of the Silvaire 8E. Paul Taylor’s plane may deviate in some instances (his has wing tanks, many Silvaires had fuselage tanks), but this is the same configuration.

2 comments:

  1. Paul L. Taylor purchased property from my dad's estate. He hasn't made a single payment on his note, which were supposed to begin June 1, 2014. All correspondence has been ignored or refused. Please comment or email jsuperstar@hotmail.com if you can help me track him down.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jsuperstar you need to hire a lawyer and take him to court . Why can't your dad's estate file
    a lien against that airplane ? There's something missing in your post . Even a small claim
    court (limited claim amount) would be better than letting him get away with not paying ,

    ReplyDelete