# Accident 19980502008259A: Luscom 8E, Auburn, CA, May 2, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 2, 1998, 11:00 local time
- Place: Auburn, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0009° N, 121.0894° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0009&lon=-121.0894&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2435K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2435K-2017-10-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E (registry code 8190128, https://openairdocs.org/model/silvaire-luscombe-8e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LUSCOM 8E
- Reported engine: CONT C8512
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 801 total, 520 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA151) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980502008259A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX98LA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA151), May 2, 1998: Luscombe 8E (N2435K), Auburn, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper use of carburetor heat and the rough/uneven (furrowed) terrain. A contributing factor was carburetor icing conditions.

## Other reports on N2435K (1)

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

- [Accident 20120529011109A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120529011109A), May 29, 2012: Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E (N2435K), Twentynine Palm, CA, Substantial damage. The 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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