- Date
- April 19, 2026, 10:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Meeker, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1398KLuscombe 8E
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Windshear or thunderstorm
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260419007099A
- Case key
- 202849
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 pilot’s inability to maintain climb performance and clearance from terrain due to the airplane’s encounter with windshear during takeoff.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported he was attempting to depart from a remote 2,040 ft long airstrip. During the initial climb, the airplane encountered windshear, and the pilot noticed that the vertical speed indicator depicted a decreasing climb rate. The pilot determined that the airplane was unable to out climb the terrain due to the windshear and opted for a straight-ahead forced landing. The airplane landed in a three-point configuration in tall, thick sagebrush and eventually nosed over, coming to rest inverted. Both wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1398K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8E (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4125
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 2,425.3
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 14, 2025 · 127 hours before
- Departed
- N/A · Meeker, CO
- Destination
- KGJT · Grand Junction, CO
- Airport
- NA · Private, runway private runway, 2,040 × 15 ft, grass/turf
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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 732 total · 433 in this make and model · 660 as pilot in command · 94 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.24 inHg
- Observed at
- KEEO, 22 nm away
- METAR
- KEEO 191653Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 12/M11 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP215 T01171111
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.