# NTSB CEN21FA327: Luscombe 8F, N2054B, Comstock, TX, July 18, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report - Date: July 17, 2021, 20:40 local (Jul 18, 2021, 01:40 UTC) - Place: Comstock, TX · Cactus and brush covered near flat terrain. - Coordinates: 29.640618, -101.06117 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6406&lon=-101.0612&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration; San Antonio FSDO, Federal Aviation Administration; North Texas FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 103501 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21FA327 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103501/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103501 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA327 ## Probable cause Impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041000): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Luscombe 8F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041000/cases.md?model=8190114), [All aircraft, 111 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Luscombe 8F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=8190114), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot departed on a personal flight, and the wreckage was located about 20 nautical miles from the departure airport by the property owner. There were no witnesses to the accident. Recorded data showed that, after maneuvering over the area of the accident site for about 6 minutes, the airplane entered a near-vertical descent. The airplane impacted terrain and was destroyed. The wreckage was consistent with a wings-level, near-vertical impact. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology testing of the pilot identified ethanol. The large discrepancy among the ethanol levels in muscle, heart, and liver indicates that at least some of the detected ethanol was likely from sources other than consumption. Notably, the severity of injury made postmortem microbial ethanol production more likely, and the detectable n-propanol and n-butanol in muscle and heart indicate likely postmortem microbial activity in these tissues (although such activity does not always produce ethanol). Although at least some of the detected ethanol was likely from sources other than consumption, the available ethanol results are insufficient to exclude the possibility that consumed ethanol may have exerted impairing effects on the pilot, particularly given that diphenhydramine was also detected. Like ethanol, diphenhydramine may exert impairing sedative effects, and such effects may combine with those of ethanol. There is insufficient medical and operational evidence to determine whether ethanol or diphenhydramine caused impairment that contributed to the accident. ## Factual narrative Download of data from the pilot’s watch indicated that he was maneuvering the airplane near the accident site for about 6 minutes before the airplane entered a steep descent over the accident site. On July 18, 2021, about 2040 central daylight time, a Luscombe 8F, N2054B, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Comstock, Texas. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed from Del Rio International Airport (DRT), Del Rio, Texas, about 2015. The wreckage was found by a landowner while he was checking the field’s fence; he did not hear or see the accident. There were no known witnesses to the accident. The pilot’s most recent third-class Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate was issued on December 27, 2006. At that time, he reported no medication use and no active medical conditions. The Webb County Medical Examiner's Office, Laredo, Texas, performed the pilot’s autopsy. According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries, and the manner of death was accident. The autopsy was limited by the severity of injuries, with no major heart or brain structures described. Within this limitation, the autopsy did not identify significant natural disease. Toxicological testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol in muscle at 0.182 g/dL, in heart at 0.065 g/dL, and in liver at 0.034 g/dL. Ethanol testing in brain was inconclusive. N propanol and n-butanol were detected in muscle and heart. Diphenhydramine was detected in muscle and liver. Ethanol is the intoxicating alcohol in beer, wine, and liquor. It can impair judgment, psychomotor performance, cognition, and vigilance. FAA regulation imposes strict limits on flying after consuming ethanol. This includes a prohibition on acting as a crewmember of a civil aircraft while having a blood ethanol level of 0.04 g/dL or greater. Ethanol can also be produced by microbes in a person’s body tissues after death. N-propanol and n-butanol are other alcohols that can be produced by microbes in a person’s body tissues after death. Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine available over the counter in multiple cold and allergy products as well as sleep aids. Diphenhydramine can cause drowsiness and cognitive and psychomotor impairment. It typically carries a warning to be cautious with tasks like driving and operating machinery, and to avoid use with alcohol, which can increase its sedative effects. The FAA states that pilots should not fly within 60 hours of using diphenhydramine, to allow time for it to be eliminated from circulation. The pilot was a United States Air Force pilot. He accumulated a total military flight experience of 2,084 hours, and his total civilian flight time was 717 hours as of his most recent logbook entry, dated September 2, 2018. The wreckage was located about 20 miles north-northwest of DRT. Theairplane came to rest inverted on a magnetic heading of 202o. The propeller, located several feet forward of the nose, exhibited chordwise scratching consistent with rotation. The propeller hub was split in half, consistent with impact damage. Ground scarring was limited to the areas under the propeller and the airframe. There was no ground scarring across the field. The airplane exhibited substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The crush damage to the nose and both wings was consistent with a wings-level, nearly vertical impact angle. All control surfaces were located with the fuselage at the accident site. Both wing flaps were retracted. Postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed continuity each of the flight control surfaces to the cockpit controls. All separations in the control system were consistent with overstress due to impact forces. The engine crankcase was broken open. The internal engine components did not exhibit failure. The tachometer gauge needle was deformed along the tachometer face. The tachometer indicated about 2,600 rpm. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2054B](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2054B), registered now, S/N 6481, built 1949 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: LUSCOMBE 8F - Registry model: [Luscombe 8F](https://openairdocs.org/model/luscombe-8f) (registry code 8190114) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental C90 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c90-series) (registry code 17009, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 6481 - Year built: 1949 - Airframe hours: 3953 - Engines: Continental C90-8F 90 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 7, 2020 - Departed: DRT, Del Rio, TX ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; injuries: fatal; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; toxicology performed; flight hours: 717 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 110° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 91 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.97 inHg - Observed at: DRT, 20 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20210717016489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210717016489A), Jul 17, 2021: Luscombe 8F, Del Rio, TX, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. N2054B, Luscombe 8F, crashed on a ranch 20 miles nnw Del Rio airport (drt) under unknown circumstances. Aircraft impacted the ground in a vertical attitude.… ## Docket (12 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 6, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103501. 105 MB in all. - Memorandum of record - history of flight (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 103 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13803349&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20of%20Record%20-%20History%20of%20Flight-Rel.pdf - Record of examination - on-scene (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 113 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13793520&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=RECORD%20OF%20EXAMINATION%20-%20On%20Scene-Rel.pdf - Record of examination - postaccident (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 108 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13867848&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record%20of%20Examination-Rel.pdf - Photo log (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13801946&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Log-Rel.pdf - Handheld GPS - specialist's factual report (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 416 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13791500&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Handheld%20GPS%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Rel.pdf - Personal electronic devices - specialist's factual report_CEN21FA327 (item 6, PDF, 15 pages, 4.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13792290&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Personal%20Electronic%20Devices%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report_CEN21FA327-Rel.pdf - Attachment 1 to personal electronic devices - specialist's factual report_CEN21FA327_tabular data (item 7, CSV, 350 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13792804&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment%201%20to%20Personal%20Electronic%20Devices%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report_CEN21FA327_Tabular%20Data-Rel.csv - Attachment 2 to personal electronic devices - specialist's factual report_CEN21FA327_tabular data (item 8, CSV, 583 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13575369&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment%202%20to%20Personal%20Electronic%20Devices%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report_CEN21FA327_Tabular%20Data-Rel.csv - FAA forensic toxicology report (item 9, PDF, 1 page, 163 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13791100&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Tox%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Civilian pilot logbook excerpt (item 10, PDF, 11 pages, 96.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13868891&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Logbook%20Excerpt%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Release of aircraft wreckage, NTSB form 6120.15 (item 11, PDF, 1 page, 385 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13868592&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N2054B%20NTSB%20Wreckage%20Release%20Form%20Signed%2005%2002%2022_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Medical factual report (item 12, PDF, 3 pages, 232 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13853820&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN21FA327_MedicalFactualReport-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.