Luscombe 8A accident near Chillicothe, Missouri, July 1, 1998
On July 1, 1998 at about 8:18 pm local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N71306, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chillicothe, Missouri (Chillicothe Municipal airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the improper use of the engine starting procedure. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot in command's lack of recent experience, the aircraft not being tied down, the utility pole and guy wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 1998 · about 8:18 pm local time
- Place
- Chillicothe, Missouri · Chillicothe Municipal · 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
- N71306 · registry record · serial 2733
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he couldn't find anyone to assist him in hand starting the aircraft, so he decided to proceed by himself. The pilot stated that he could not get the engine to start after many attempts. The pilot adjusted the throttle, increasing it, and again attempted to hand start the engine. The pilot stated that the engine started, ran rough for the first couple of rotations, and then the rpms began to increase rapidly. The aircraft began to pivot around the left main gear and the pilot was unable to access the cockpit to retard the throttle. The aircraft continued to turn to the left, departed the tarmac onto a grass area, until the right wing impacted a utility pole and guy wire. Post accident investigation revealed that the pilot had not had flown in over six years and had not had a Biennial Flight Review in over 72 months. It was also revealed that the hand brake only engages the left brake on the aircraft, which caused the aircraft to rotate about the left main gear.
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: 1,078 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,040 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,431 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 3, 1997; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: PVT Noahs Ark MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from IRK, 47 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI98LA232.