What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 19, 2026 a pilot flying a Luscombe. 8E, with registration number privacy data omitted departed a private grass strip approximately 23NM to the south of keeo enroute to kgjt. The pilot selected a downhill departure for a shorter performance takeoff and to compensate for the continually lowering terrain to exit the valley. During the pilot’s short-field takeoff, the pilot rotated the aircraft and as the airplane began to leave ground effect, the VSI indicated a downward-trending climb rate. The pilot then pitched the aircraft forward, maintaining a vx airspeed. The pilot then quickly realized from his VSI, that the aircraft was still descending at roughly 300-400FPM at around 30 feet AGL. Realizing that the aircraft with caught in windshear and due to the aircraft not being able to outclimb the downdraft/windshear, the pilot opted for a straight-ahead, off-airport, forced landing. The pilot then maneuvered the aircraft away from a ravine, that had been noted in the pre-takeoff emergency brief and made the decision to make an off-airport landing with as little energy as possible. The aircraft touched down in a three-point configuration in tall/thick sagebrush. The aircraft eventually nosed over, coming to rest upside down. Both the pilot and passenger walked away from the accident unharmed and without further incident.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 19, 2026 A PILOT FLYING A LUSCOMBE. 8E, WITH REGISTRATION NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP APPROXIMATELY 23NM TO THE SOUTH OF KEEO ENROUTE TO KGJT. THE PILOT SELECTED A DOWNHILL DEPARTURE FOR A SHORTER PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF AND TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CONTINUALLY LOWERING TERRAIN TO EXIT THE VALLEY. DURING THE PILOT’S SHORT-FIELD TAKEOFF, THE PILOT ROTATED THE AIRCRAFT AND AS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO LEAVE GROUND EFFECT, THE VSI INDICATED A DOWNWARD-TRENDING CLIMB RATE. THE PILOT THEN PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD, MAINTAINING A VX AIRSPEED. THE PILOT THEN QUICKLY REALIZED FROM HIS VSI, THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL DESCENDING AT ROUGHLY 300-400FPM AT AROUND 30 FEET AGL. REALIZING THAT THE AIRCRAFT WITH CAUGHT IN WINDSHEAR AND DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT NOT BEING ABLE TO OUTCLIMB THE DOWNDRAFT/WINDSHEAR, THE PILOT OPTED FOR A STRAIGHT-AHEAD, OFF-AIRPORT, FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT THEN MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT AWAY FROM A RAVINE, THAT HAD BEEN NOTED IN THE PRE-TAKEOFF EMERGENCY BRIEF AND MADE THE DECISION TO MAKE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING WITH AS LITTLE ENERGY AS POSSIBLE. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A THREE-POINT CONFIGURATION IN TALL/THICK SAGEBRUSH. THE AIRCRAFT EVENTUALLY NOSED OVER, COMING TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WALKED AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT UNHARMED AND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.