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19980502008259A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Luscom 8E · Auburn, CA · May 2, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 2, 1998 · 11:00 local
Place
Auburn, CA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2435K
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98LA151
Reported as
Luscom 8E
Reported engine
Continental C8512
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
801 total520 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N2435KRegistration cancelled Oct 25, 2017 · Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8ES/N 5162 · Built 1947Airframe modelSilvaire LUSCOMBE 8EEngine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Acft experienced a rough running engine, made emergency lanidng in a field. Flipped over, Auburn, CA.(-23) the pilot experienced a rough running engine. He attempted to land in a grassy field with which he was familiar. The field was still wet from rain the previous evening. Braking was ineffective, and the airplane skidded off the end of the grassy area into a ploughed area. The airplane went over on its nose, then fell over on its back. Subsequent test indicated that there was no problem with the engine. Carburetor ice is suspected to have cause the rough running indication. (From .4) the pilot reported that he had been flying approx. 500 to 800 feet below a cloud layer that he estimated to be broken at 4,000 AGL. He noted a loss of engine power and rpm's, and applied carburetor heat. Engine power and RPM cleared up, but then ran rough again with the pilot making a precautionary landing in an open field. After touchdown, the pilot encountered poor braking action due to the wet grass. The aircraft came to rest inverted after colliding with a dirt bank. A weather reporting system located approx. 20 nmi from the accident site reported a temperature of 64 degrees and a dew poin t of 55 degrees fahrenheit. According to the carburetor ice probability chart, the potential existed for moderate icing during cruise at those temperatures. The cloud layer was reported as broken with the lowest layer at 7,000 feet. The safety board's meteorologist estimated that the freezing level in the accident area was approximately 8,500 feet MSL.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE, MADE EMERGENCY LANIDNG IN A FIELD. FLIPPED OVER, AUBURN, CA.(-23) THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A GRASSY FIELD WITH WHICH HE WAS FAMILIAR. THE FIELD WAS STILL WET FROM RAIN THE PREVIOUS EVENING. BRAKING WAS INEFFECTIVE, AND THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED OFF THE END OF THE GRASSY AREA INTO A PLOUGHED AREA. THE AIRPLANE WENT OVER ON ITS NOSE, THEN FELL OVER ON ITS BACK. SUBSEQUENT TEST INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. CARBURETOR ICE IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE CAUSE THE ROUGH RUNNING INDICATION. (FROM .4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEEN FLYING APPROX. 500 TO 800 FEET BELOW A CLOUD LAYER THAT HE ESTIMATED TO BE BROKEN AT 4,000 AGL. HE NOTED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND RPM'S, AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT. ENGINE POWER AND RPM CLEARED UP, BUT THEN RAN ROUGH AGAIN WITH THE PILOT MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED POOR BRAKING ACTION DUE TO THE WET GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED AFTER COLLIDING WITH A DIRT BANK. A WEATHER REPORTING SYSTEM LOCATED APPROX. 20 NMI FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED A TEMPERATURE OF 64 DEGREES AND A DEW POIN T OF 55 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. ACCORDING TO THE CARBURETOR ICE PROBABILITY CHART, THE POTENTIAL EXISTED FOR MODERATE ICING DURING CRUISE AT THOSE TEMPERATURES. THE CLOUD LAYER WAS REPORTED AS BROKEN WITH THE LOWEST LAYER AT 7,000 FEET. THE SAFETY BOARD'S METEOROLOGIST ESTIMATED THAT THE FREEZING LEVEL IN THE ACCIDENT AREA WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,500 FEET MSL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX98LA151Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAuburn, CAThe pilot's improper use of carburetor heat and the rough/uneven (furrowed) terrain. A contributing factor was carburetor icing conditions.May 2, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2435K · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20120529011109ATakeoff: Climb Out · Twentynine Palm, CAThe aircraft was near Twentynine Palms, CA when engine lost power. A landing was attempted on a dirt road. At the end of the dirt road the aircraft struck a dirt burm that flipped the aircraft onto its back. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The…May 29, 2012 · Substantial damage