- Date
- August 1, 1987, 00:15 local (07:15 UTC)
- Place
- Oakdale, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2098BLuscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870801082859A
- Case key
- 25413
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 plt & his plt-rated wife (flying in their Luscombe) & another couple (in a rented Mooney) had dinner & drank wine. By about 0015 the couples had taken off in their respective acft for a return flt home and they had each other in sight. The couple in the Mooney stated that while cruising at 6,500 feet MSL (& on a federal airway) the plt in the Luscombe transmitted 'I'll show you something. I'm going to do a vertical 360. Watch this.' The Mooney plt observed the Luscombe descend slightly & then commence a climb. Thereafter, contact was lost. The Luscombe wreckage was subsequently found in numerous pieces distributed over 3/4-MI. Exam of the acft structure including wing spars revealed severe corrosion. No evidence of the acft having a current annual inspection was found. Toxicological tests revealed ethanol levels of .02 percent and .08 percent for the plt and his wife respectively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2098B
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6525
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Francis & Melissa Mings
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 022 · Columbia, CA
- Destination
- HWD · Hayward, CA
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total · 2,100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.