- Date
- June 12, 1982, 08:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Delano, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2013BLuscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 12, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820612021699A
- Case key
- 70441
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot and his daughter were on a cross-country flight when the engine lost power. During a forced landing approach to a highway, the pilot noticed some powerlines which he went under. He avoided the powerlines, but hit a truck. The crash site was located within 5 miles of the destination. The pilot was seriously injured and had no recollection about the accident. His daughter related that the engine sounded like it ran out of fuel. During an investigation, fuel was found in both tanks. The right tank had the lowest level of fuel with 3 gallons remaining. The fuel selector valves were found to be very stiff and could not be switched to the left tank. The aircraft had been rebuilt from 3 other planes and did not have the Luscombe authorized fuel system installed. The engine ran normally during an operational check.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2013B
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6440
- Airframe hours
- 1,160
- Engine
- Continental A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald C. Sprankle
- Registered owner
- Michael Simek
- Departed
- Porterville, CA
- Destination
- Delano, CA
- Airport
- DLO · Delano
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 167 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.