Luscombe 8A accident near Baldwin City, Kansas, December 4, 2019
On December 4, 2019 at about 10:57 pm local time, a 1946 Luscombe 8A, registered N45606, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Baldwin City, Kansas (Vinland Valley Aerodrome airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2019 · about 10:57 pm local time
- Place
- Baldwin City, Kansas · Vinland Valley Aerodrome · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A, built 1946 · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N45606 · no longer on the register · serial 2133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was conducting a flight review with the private pilot. During the takeoff roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane crossed over the runway centerline toward the right. The pilot applied left rudder control input, but the airplane continued to the right. The airplane then continued off the runway into a soft, muddy farm field, where it nosed over, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which the flight instructor did not correct in a timely manner.
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 on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 717 hours in all; 335 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 717 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 4, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,131 hours in all; 448 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,063 as pilot in command; 324 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 22, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,754 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,337 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K64 Baldwin City KS at 9:05 pm
- Destination: K64 Baldwin City KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,030 ft by 80 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from LWC, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 3, 2020. 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 |
| 2 | Photo Log | PDF, 1 page | 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 N45606 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.