Luscombe 8E accident near Port Lavaca, Texas, November 27, 1988
On November 27, 1988 at about 5:35 am local time, a Luscombe 8E, registered N2301K, was destroyed in an accident near Port Lavaca, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- November 27, 1988 · about 5:35 am local time
- Place
- Port Lavaca, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E · all 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N2301K · no longer on the register · serial 5028
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THERE WERE NO RECORDS TO INDICATE THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT RECEIVED A PRE-FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING FROM ANY WEATHER REPORTING SERVICE. WITNESSES IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT STATED THE NIGHT WAS DARK AND THE GROUND WAS COVERED WITH FOG. THE AIRPLANE LANDING LIGHT WAS ON, THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED, AND THERE WAS A WELL- LIGHTED, NEARBY CAUSEWAY (SEVERAL BLOCKS AWAY), IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. THE AIRPLANE FLEW INTO THE TOP OF A HOUSE IN A 45 DEGREE NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PILOT REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF BENZOYLECGONINE IN HIS URINE AND .260 MG/L IN HIS BLOOD. CANNABINOIDS WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED IN THE URINE.
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: 89 hours in all; 54 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 03R Aransas Pass TX at 4:50 am
- Destination: T17 Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:24 am from PSX, 20 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.
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.