Luscombe 8C accident near Mount Carmel, Illinois, July 25, 2009
On July 25, 2009 at about 8:25 pm local time, a Luscombe 8C, registered N37080, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Mount Carmel, Illinois (Beckerman Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The reason for this accident was not determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2009 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Carmel, Illinois · Beckerman Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8C · all 8Cs on the register
- Registration
- N37080 · no longer on the register · serial 1741
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight last departed from Henderson, Kentucky en route to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The pilot landed in Henderson to wait for the weather to improve. The pilot then departed but later returned due to rain showers and convective activity. Witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering at a low altitude when the engine began to "sputter" and then increase in engine sound prior to impacting a field in a nose-down, left-wing-down attitude. Postaccident examination of the carburetor revealed evidence of fuel contamination and that it had not undergone recent routine maintenance and inspection. No other mechanical anomalies were noted. Since the pilot's most recent application for airman medical certificate he had begun taking escitalopram, a prescription antidepressant, for symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. The medication would be unlikely to result in impairment, but it cannot be determined if the symptoms for which it was being taken may have been related to the accident. Signatures from the wreckage confirmed that the engine was operating at impact. The investigation was unable to determine the reason for the accident.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Not serviced/maintained
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 628 hours in all; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 553 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 9, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,249 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EHR Henderson KY
- Destination: Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:26 pm from AGJ, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.