- Date
- January 16, 2025, 16:54 local (22:54 UTC)
- Place
- Omaha, NE
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N71586Luscombe 8
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250116000619A
- Case key
- 199561
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while in the traffic pattern, the engine completely lost power. He switched fuel tanks, but engine power was not restored. The pilot conducted a forced landing and impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel and the gascolator contained about a tablespoon of fuel. There was no evidence of fuel blight at the accident site. After the accident, the pilot stated that he did not sump the fuel tanks and should have checked the fuel level before the flight.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71586
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3013
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,633.7
- Engine
- Continental Motors C-90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 2024 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- MLE · Omaha, NE
- Destination
- MLE · Omaha, NE
- Airport
- MLE · Millard Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 81
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 10, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLE
- METAR
- METAR KMLE 162315Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 09/M04 A2998 RMK AO2 T00911045=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 22, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.