- Date
- April 13, 1994, 15:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Coalville, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2728KLuscombe 8E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940413000739A
- Case key
- 41909
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 failure of the connecting rod. Factors include the rough uneven terrain encountered during the forced landing.
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
While en route on an instructional flight, the connecting rod to the number three cylinder failed, resulting in a loss of power. The intructor attempted to make it to a dirt strip for a forced landing. He landed short, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On April 13, 1994, approximately 1505 mountain daylight time, a Luscombe 8E, N2728K, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a partial power loss, near Coalville, Utah. The flight instructor and his student were uninjured in the accident. The flight had originated at Heber, Utah, en route to Evanston, Wyoming, and was on a VFR flight plan. The pilot disconnected the ELT after the landing.
The flight instructor stated that while in cruise the engine started running rough, and experienced a progressive loss of most of its power. He attempted a landing on a road near a cemetary, but the landing gear collapsed and the aircraft ground looped. The flight instructor stated that he was flying from the right front seat, and that the student aboard was a passenger. The student stated that he was receiving dual instruction, and had filed a flight plan in his name with Cedar City FSS, from Heber to Evanston.
During an engine teardown and inspection, it was determined that the number 3 cylinder connecting rod failed, resulting in the loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2728K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5455
- Airframe hours
- 2,625
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas O. Lawler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 1994 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- 36U · Heber, UT
- Destination
- Evanston, WY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- None
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
- 34
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,400 total · 130 in this make and model · 2,200 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SLC, 35 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 N2728K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.