Luscombe 8E N1398K

Summary

On 19 April 2026 at about 16:40 local time, a Luscombe 8E registered N1398K was involved in an accident near Meeker, Colorado, 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.

Date

19 April 2026 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Meeker, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Private (NA)

Coordinates

39.7330, -108.1432

Aircraft

Luscombe 8E

Registration

N1398K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Meeker → Grand Junction

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA169

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inability to maintain climb performance and clearance from terrain due to the airplane’s encounter with windshear during takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he was attempting to depart from a remote 2,040 ft long airstrip. During the initial climb, the airplane encountered windshear, and the pilot noticed that the vertical speed indicator depicted a decreasing climb rate. The pilot determined that the airplane was unable to out climb the terrain due to the windshear and opted for a straight-ahead forced landing. The airplane landed in a three-point configuration in tall, thick sagebrush and eventually nosed over, coming to rest inverted. Both wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.