Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A N28545

Summary

On 20 June 2025 at about 18:55 local time, a Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A registered N28545 was involved in an accident near San Andreas, 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

20 June 2025 at 18:55

Classification

Accident

Location

San Andreas, California, United States

Nearest airport

Calaveras County/Maury Rasmuss (CPU)

Coordinates

38.1461, -120.6482

Aircraft

Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A

Registration

N28545

Category

Airplane

Year built

1940

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Petaluma → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA185

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing roll following an encounter with a dust devil.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that after performing a wheel landing, the tailwheel settled onto the runway. Shortly after, the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind or dust devil, which turned the airplane about 90° to the left. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, traveled down an embankment, and both main landing gear collapsed before the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 31 with wind from 270° at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. One witness characterized the wind as a spiraling wind with extreme lift.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.