Luscombe 8E accident near Orange City, Iowa, October 3, 2003
On October 3, 2003 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Luscombe 8E, registered N1909K, was destroyed in an accident near Orange City, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance from the trees while manuevering at a low altitude. A factor was the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2003 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Orange City, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E · all 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N1909K · registry record · serial 4636
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed after impacting trees and terrain. There were no witnesses to the accident. The aircraft was found in the northwest corner of a small field about 75 yards away from two farm buildings and a silo. The pilot's father owned the property. The destroyed aircraft was found in a near vertical position with the wreckage contained in a single area. Several trees located approximately 10 yards to the west of the wreckage were missing branches at an estimated height of 10-40 feet AGL. The inspection of the airplane revealed no pre-impact anomalies.
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: 359 hours in all; 192 in this make and model; 334 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 7, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,533.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2003; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORC Orange City IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from ORC, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.