20031003028589A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Luscom 8E · Orange City, IA · October 3, 2003

Date: October 3, 2003
Place: Orange City, IA
Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N1909K
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI04LA003
Reported as: Luscom 8E
Reported engine: Continental C8512F
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 359 total192 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N1909KRegistration cancelled May 20, 2004 · Luscombe 8ES/N 4636 · Built 1947 Airframe modelLuscombe 8E Engine 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.

(-23) The aircraft approached from the west, hit the tops of trees approximately 40 feet above the ground, broke off the outboard 3 feet of the left wing, and impacted the ground in an almost vertical attitude approximately 10 yards from the initial impact point with the tops of the trees. An ELT activation was reported at approximately 1400 local time. The wreckage was discovered at approximately 1800 local time. The pilot and passenger suffered fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED FROM THE WEST, HIT THE TOPS OF TREES APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, BROKE OFF THE OUTBOARD 3 FEET OF THE LEFT WING, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL ATTITUDE APPROXIMATELY 10 YARDS FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT WITH THE TOPS OF THE TREES. AN ELT ACTIVATION WAS REPORTED AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL TIME. THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

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 CHI04LA003Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportOrange City, IAThe pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance from the trees while manuevering at a low altitude. A factor was the trees.Oct 3, 2003 · Destroyed