Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E accident near Alegnagik, Alaska, March 2, 2014
On March 2, 2014 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 1947 Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E, registered N2542K, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Alegnagik, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to determine that the ice that he was taxiing on was safe for operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2014 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Alegnagik, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E, built 1947 · all LUSCOMBE 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N2542K · registry record · serial 5269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had just landed his tail wheel-equipped airplane on a frozen lake. During the taxi to his cabin, both of the airplane's main landing gear wheels broke through overflow ice, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and that the accident could have been prevented had he called a local lodge owner to check the conditions of the ice before landing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of available resources › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,950 hours in all; 1,583 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 20, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,236 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2013; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,086 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 2,709 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PADL Dillingham AK at 5:30 pm
- Destination: Alegnagik AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from PADL, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on May 21, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N2542K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.