Luscombe 8E N2435K

Summary

On 2 May 1998 at about 18:00 local time, a Luscombe 8E registered N2435K was involved in an accident near Auburn, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 May 1998 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Auburn, California, United States

Coordinates

39.0009, -121.0894

Aircraft

Luscombe 8E

Registration

N2435K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98LA151

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper use of carburetor heat and the rough/uneven (furrowed) terrain. A contributing factor was carburetor icing conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had been flying approximately 500 to 800 feet below a cloud layer that he estimated to be broken at 4,000 agl. He noted a loss of engine power and rpm's, and applied carburetor heat. Engine power and rpm cleared up, but then ran rough again with the pilot making a precautionary landing in an open field. After touchdown, the pilot encountered poor braking action due to the wet grass. The aircraft came to rest inverted after colliding with a furrow which crossed the field. A weather reporting system located approximately 20 nm from the accident site reported a temperature of 64 degrees and a dew point of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the carburetor ice probability chart, the potential existed for moderate icing during cruise at those temperatures. The cloud layer was reported as broken with the lowest layer at 7,000 feet. The estimated freezing level in the accident area was approximately 8,500 feet msl.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.