Luscombe 8A accident near Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, April 15, 2007
On April 15, 2007 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N28428, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (Rosenbaum Field Aiport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot intentionally leaving the airplane unoccupied during the engine start, which resulted in the unoccupied airplane traversing into a cornfield. A factor was the rough/uneven cornfield.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2007 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin · Rosenbaum Field Aiport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N28428 · registry record · serial 1295
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The unoccupied airplane nosed over in a cornfield shortly after the pilot hand-propped the engine. The pilot reported that he had chocked both main landing gear, but there was no one at the aircraft controls during the engine start. Upon engine startup, the engine rpm "increased rapidly" before he had enough time to enter the airplane. The airplane reportedly "climbed over the chocks and started moving" and then traversed into a corn field before nosing over. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had secured the tailwheel with a tie-down for engine start.
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: 410 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 410 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,848 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A85-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3W19 Chippewa Falls WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from EAU, 9 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.
Other NTSB records under N28428 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.