- Date
- August 24, 1992, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Snoqualmie, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N71183Luscombe 8A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920824032839A
- Case key
- 42885
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 not maintaining control of the aircraft because of incapacitation resulting from both hypoglycemia/diet and loss of consciousness.
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 departed the airstrip to the west intending to fly only 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately following takeoff he blacked out and the aircraft entered a right spiral until impacting the ground. The pilot, who was taking a blood glucose lowering medication (glucotrol) for a mild diabetic condition, had just eaten a large breakfast.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71183
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2610
- Engine
- Continental A65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- The Aviators
- Registered owner
- Piper, Brian J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- WA04
- Destination
- WA04
- Airport
- WA04 · Bandera State Airport, runway 26, 2,342 × 100 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 74 total · 4 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMP, 10 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.
Other investigations on N71183 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.