Luscombe 8 accident near Marlboro, New Jersey, August 13, 2016
On August 13, 2016 at about 4:03 pm local time, a 1946 Luscombe 8, registered N71497, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Marlboro, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2016 · about 4:03 pm local time
- Place
- Marlboro, New Jersey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8 A, built 1946 · all 8s on the register
- Registration
- N71497 · no longer on the register · serial 2924
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was on a local personal flight and, after flying about 1.5 hours, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power that he could not restore. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in a field, but the airplane impacted the ground in a nose- and left-wing-low attitude, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel remaining in the intact fuel tank and only residual fuel remaining in the fuel strainer and carburetor. The glass face of the fuel tank quantity indicator gauge was scratched and cloudy. The examination revealed no evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions of the engine or engine accessories that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, it is likely that the pilot did not adequately manage the fuel supply during flight, and the scratched and cloudy glass face of the fuel quantity indicator gauge may have led the pilot to misinterpret how much fuel was remaining.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel indication system › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 531 hours in all; 415 in this make and model; 531 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 25, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,698 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 2016; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8F (piston); 3,649 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3N6 Old Bridge NJ at 2:33 pm
- Destination: 3N6 Old Bridge NJ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from BLM, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on April 25, 2019. 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 | Record of FAA Conversation with the Pilot-in-command | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of NTSB Conversations | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Concurring Statement Concerning Engine Examination Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 7 | GPS Device Factual Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 and NTSB Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.