Crash at 06C, one fatality

[ScottM]

A pilot of a single-engine plane died this afternoon after taking off from Schaumburg Regional Airport and nose-diving back into the ground, police said.
Sgt. John Nebl said the pilot was a man in his 60s, but would not identify him because his family had not been notified. He was the sole occupant of the two-seater Luscombe plane, Nebl said.
The plane took off just after 3:30 and was airborne before crashing into a grassy area adjacent to the airport, police said.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/11/small-plane-crashes-at-schaumburg-airport.html

 

[ScottM]

More info:

The plane was a Luscombe owned by William Borgstrom of Palatine, FAA records indicate. Borgstrom lives at 853 N. Quentin Road, record show.

 

[ScottM]

More info rolling in:

The plane -- a Luscombe 8A -- went down shortly after takeoff shortly at 3:30 p.m, said Federal Aviation spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory.
The aircraft's wing was separated when the plane flipped over. Witnesses on the ground said it "fell out of the sky."
First responders quickly arrived on the scene and were able to get the pilot out of the aircraft. Authorities say the pilot was alive at the time but died while en route to a hospital in an ambulance.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane, with tail number N71823, is registered to a Palatine man, but it's currently unknown if that's who was piloting the plane.
There is no damage to the runway. The airport is currently closed.


Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/schaumburg-plane-crash-106474948.html#ixzz144aF0c3i


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[ScottM]

Victim is identified:

The pilot of a single-engine plane who died when his plan crashed on takeoff at Schaumburg Regional Airport on Monday afternoon was identified this morning as a 66-year-old Chicago man.
William Borgstrom, of the 1300 block of West Columbia Avenue in Chicago, was the sole occupant of the two-seater Luscombe plane, police said.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/11/small-plane-crashes-at-schaumburg-airport.html

 

[JeffDG]

Departure stall/spin?

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Boy, he sure didn't get far! Not even to the end of the runway.

 

[jstro]

Departure stall/spin?

Sure looks like it. But it's always bothers me when the deeper questions aren't resolved -- why would an experienced pilot (one with a flight instructor rating even) let that happen? Even with an engine failure the first thing is to adjust pitch to maintain proper airspeed, but according to observers no attempt was made to do that. Was it something as trivial as being distracted by something in the cockpit? I sure hope not, since again a flight instructor should have known better. Did this airplane have a gust lock on the elevator that somehow got missed? I know this sounds weird, but I hope it was a heart attack or something like that. That I can understand a little better. No disrespect meant, and my condolences to his family.

 

[EppyGA]

Sure looks like it. But it's always bothers me when the deeper questions aren't resolved -- why would an experienced pilot (one with a flight instructor rating even) let that happen? Even with an engine failure the first thing is to adjust pitch to maintain proper airspeed, but according to observers no attempt was made to do that. Was it something as trivial as being distracted by something in the cockpit? I sure hope not, since again a flight instructor should have known better. Did this airplane have a gust lock on the elevator that somehow got missed? I know this sounds weird, but I hope it was a heart attack or something like that. That I can understand a little better. No disrespect meant, and my condolences to his family.

Same questions I come up with. Throughout training we have this stuff drummed into our heads and yet these things happen.

 

[Jack Spectre]

How about the seat sliding back during rotation and the pilot hangs onto the yoke? That's happening before.

 

[tonycondon]

How about the seat sliding back during rotation and the pilot hangs onto the yoke? That's happening before.

thats typically an issue in cessnas and has been addressed by approximately 100 service bulletins and ADs. i'm not sure how the seat works in Luscombe.

 

[JesseD]

I'm glad nobody else was injured by the incident. I also hope his family remembers him as he deserved and that his life will be the memory, not the death.

I agree that I hope the cause can be found, but I don't know if I'd like medical to be the cause.

 

[N1347B]

How about the seat sliding back during rotation and the pilot hangs onto the yoke? That's happening before.

Nope. Luscombe seats (original and other later mods) are stationary. No yoke. If you can reach the rudders, the stick will be right between your knees.

The Luscombe group has a little more info. It's possible that it's an elevator issue.

While a Luscombe will spin on a dime and in a heartbeat, it will also recover just as fast. Let go of the stick and she's flying again. You don't need power to recover, just reduce the aoa, which is why you don't hear of many stall/spin accidents in an airplane that spins so well.

The few that happen are often mechanical issues with the elevators or cables. The elevators have hinges that need to be checked and replaced regularly, and the cables should be checked for fraying thoroughly at every annual.

Wind can damage the elevator cables, and I've heard this is a possible scenario.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families.


Deb