Luscombe 8E accident near West Bend, Wisconsin, November 3, 2012
On November 3, 2012 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Luscombe 8E, registered N2368K, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near West Bend, Wisconsin (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot‘s failure to maintain clearance from power lines at the end of the short runway, which resulted in an aborted takeoff and subsequent nose-over of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 2012 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- West Bend, Wisconsin · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E · all 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N2368K · registry record · serial 5095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed a 1,500-foot-long grass runway in calm wind conditions and was unable to gain enough altitude to clear power lines at the end of the runway. He aborted the takeoff and landed in a plowed field near the departure end of the runway. The airplane nosed over on landing damaging the vertical stabilizer, the right wing tip, both main landing gear, and the propeller. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation. He said the accident could have been prevented if he had waited for better wind conditions or extended the takeoff roll to gain additional airspeed.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Takeoff distance › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 702 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,351 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: S & S Aero Works LLC
The flight
- Departed from: None West Bend WI at 6:00 pm
- Destination: HXF Hartford WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 1,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from ETB, 15 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 December 6, 2012. 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.
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.