Luscombe 8E accident near Verden, Oklahoma, May 5, 1985
On May 5, 1985 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Luscombe 8E, registered N2497K, was destroyed in an accident near Verden, Oklahoma. 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 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 1985 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Verden, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E · all 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N2497K · no longer on the register · serial 5224
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT ABOUT 1700 CDT ON 5/5/85, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF AT CHICKASHA, OK. AT SOMETIME AFTER 1700, AN ACFT MATCHING ITS DESCRIPTION WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW OVER A LAKE. A WITNESS IN THAT AREA OBSERVED IT PULLED UP IN A STEEP CLIMB OVER THE DAM, UNTIL IT NEARLY STOPPED, THEN IT DOVE VERTICALLY & RECOVERED AT LOW ALT. THE PLT THEN FLEW TO AN AREA WERE THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED ON OPEN TERRAIN. THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT WAS FOUND APRX 24 HRS LATER. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED INDICATIONS THAT THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT WHILE SPINNING TO THE LEFT. HOWEVER, NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.194%; A CHECK HIS URINE SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.185%.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHK Chickasha OK at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:48 pm from OKC, 40 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.
Other NTSB records under N2497K 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.