Aviation Crash Map

Luscombe 8A N1444K

18 August 2011 · Cowiche, Washington, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 18 August 2011 at about 01:45 local time, a Luscombe 8A registered N1444K was involved in an accident near Cowiche, Washington, United States. 2 people were 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.

The record

Date
at 01:45
Classification
Accident
Location
Cowiche, Washington, United States
Nearest airport
Yakima (YKM)
Coordinates
46.6758, -120.7081
Aircraft
Luscombe 8A
Registration
N1444K
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Yakima → Cowiche
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
WPR11LA391

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 0 0 2

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power during maneuvering flight due to an exhaust valve failure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a training flight, the airplane's occupants heard a hammering sound accompanied by an airframe vibration and reduction in engine power. The certified flight instructor took control of the airplane from the student and began to initiate a return to the airport. He decided that it was unlikely that they would be able to safely return, and he elected to perform a forced landing into a field. The airplane landed hard. Examination of the engine revealed that the exhaust valve head most likely separated from its stem during flight, resulting in catastrophic failure to its associated cylinder components. Discoloration within the rocker area, exhaust valve guide, and cooling fins was consistent with heat damage, most likely caused by a stuck or sticking exhaust valve. The engine was manufactured in 1948, and its serial number did not match any records on file with the manufacturer. The maintenance records did not reveal a complete history of the engine's total flight time.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Luscombe 8 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
8 Oct 2011 Luscombe 8A
N41907
Dixie, Georgia, United States - Fatal 1
21 Jun 2011 Luscombe 8F
N1459B
McCall, Idaho, United States Davis James R No injuries -
18 Aug 2011 Luscombe 8
N45725
Lincoln, California, United States Earl J Hodges Fatal 1
3 May 2011 Luscombe 8E
N1902K
Apex, North Carolina, United States - Minor injuries -
17 Dec 2011 Luscombe 8E
N71911
Atchison, Kansas, United States - No injuries -
19 Mar 2011 Luscombe 8E
N2790K
Taunton, Massachusetts, United States - No injuries -

All 1,528 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
1 Dec 2011 Piper PA-44-180
N2163N
Seattle, Washington, United States Hillsboro Aviation Inc Minor injuries -
28 Feb 2011 Boeing 757-232
N684DA
Naches, Washington, United States Delta Air Lines Serious injuries -
16 Jul 2011 Stearman C3-B
N3440
Spokane, Washington, United States Tobin Larry F No injuries -
15 Jun 2011 Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B
N8376K
Pullman, Washington, United States - Minor injuries -
23 Apr 2011 Cessna 182B
N8435T
Colville, Washington, United States George Thomas No injuries -
24 Apr 2011 Cessna 150H
N23295
College Place, Washington, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States