Luscombe 8A accident near Kake, Alaska, March 27, 1997
On March 27, 1997 at about 1:30 am local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N1295K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kake, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane prior to fuel exhaustion. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographic area, the pilot's becoming lost/disoriented, and rocks and boulders in the emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1997 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Kake, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N1295K · no longer on the register · serial 4022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot became disoriented and flew past the valley where the destination airport was located. He realized he was lost and low on fuel, and elected to make a precautionary landing. As he turned the airplane in preparation for landing on an open, sandy beach, the engine lost all power. The airplane nosed over during the forced landing on a rocky beach. Postaccident inspection disclosed no fuel in the intact fuel system.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 107 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 70 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,883 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 18, 1996; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYSQ Atlin Lake at 5:20 pm
- Destination: JNU Juneau AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from PAF, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.