# Accident 19990501004339A: Luscom 8E, Conroe, TX, May 1, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 1, 1999, 07:40 local time - Place: Conroe, TX - Airport: Montgomery County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.3197° N, 95.4705° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3197&lon=-95.4705&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2638K, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2638K) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Luscombe 8E (registry code 8190112, https://openairdocs.org/model/luscombe-8e) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: LUSCOM 8E - Reported engine: AMTR T62AZ32 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 14,000 total, 4,000 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA128) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990501004339A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. PILOT REPORTED ACFT ENGINE PROBLEMS TO THE HOUSTON TRACON AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO CONROE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE ARPT, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN, GROUND LOOPED, AND CAME TO REST IN A DITCH. (.19) ON MAY 1, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 0740 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A LUSCOMBE 83 EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N2638K, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR CONROE, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE DON LUSCOMBE AVIATION HISTORY FOUNDATION OF CHANDLER, ARIZONA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO AUSTIN, TEXAS. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT CONTACTED HOUSTON CENTER AND REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXPERIENCING ENGINE PROBLEMS. HOUSTON CENTER GAVE THE PILOT RADAR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT; HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT HE OBSERVED THE FUEL FLOW FLUCTUATE THREE TIMES. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENGINE "FLAMED OUT," AND HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART IT. HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE AIRPORT THAT ATC HAD IDENTIFIED AS THE NEAREST AIRPORT. DURING THE FORCED LANDING TO A ROAD, HE MADE A LEFT TO AVOID TREES. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON ITS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT IN A DITCH, WHICH PARALLELS THE ROAD. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED BOTH WINGS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED, THE FIREWALL BUCKLED, AND THE EMPENNAGE BENT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE OF A FUEL SPILL. (.4) WHILE AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 3,500 FEET MSL, THE PILOT OBSERVED A FUEL FLOW FLUCTUATION, AND THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE TURBOPROP ENGINE AND PREPARED FOR A FORCED LANDING TO A ROAD. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, AT ABOUT 100 FEET AGL, THE PILOT INITIATED A TURN IN ORDER TO SEE THE TRAFFICE ON THE ROAD. AS THE AIRCRAFT CROSSED THE ROAD, `THE LEFT WINGTIP AND LEFT MAIN GEAR CONTACTED THE ASPHALT ROAD, VERY HARD.' THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT IN A DITCH, WHICH PARALLELED THE ROAD. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM BY THE PILOT REVEALED A CATERPILLAR WAS LODGED IN THE FORWARD FACING VENT TO THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK. (-23)THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FUEL LOW FLUCTUATING (3 TIMES) AND ENGINE FLAMED OUT. ATTEMPTED A RELIGHT, WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. LANDED ON HIGHWAY 105 NEAR WALKER RD. ## 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 FTW99LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA128), May 1, 1999: Luscombe 8E (N2638K), Conroe, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blocked fuel vent. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. ## Other reports on N2638K (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19990909028689I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990909028689I), Sep 9, 1999: Luscom 8E (N2638K), Gretna, NE. (-23) Aircraft lost power in cruise flight. Successfully landed off airport. No injuries or damage. Engine power was restored on the ground. [privacy data… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.