Luscombe 8A accident near La Junta, Colorado, October 7, 1982
On October 7, 1982 at about 6:38 pm local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N2935K, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Junta, Colorado (La Junta Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1982 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- La Junta, Colorado · La Junta 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
- N2935K · registry record · serial 5662
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT ELECTED TO PRACTICE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 12. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER LANDING, HE BEGAN TO SET THE TRIM AND PREPARE TO TAKEOFF, WHEN THE TAIL POPPED UP AND HE COULD HEAR THE WIND WHISTLING. REPORTEDLY, HE APPLIED FULL POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TURNING TO THE RIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE USED FULL LEFT RUDDER TO COMPENSATE, BUT THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER WHILE IT WAS STILL ON THE RUNWAY. ABOUT 12 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE WIND WAS REPORTED TO BE 170 DEGREES AT 6 KTS AND VARIABLE.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 51 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 21 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,445 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHX La Junta CO at 12:30 pm
- Destination: LHX La Junta CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 8,274 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 180°F (82°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from LHX
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 DEN83LA004.