Luscombe 8 accident near Eunice, Louisiana, April 28, 2018
On April 28, 2018, a 1946 Luscombe 8, registered N71261, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Eunice, Louisiana (Eunice 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tree while on approach to land.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2018 · cases in 2018
- Place
- Eunice, Louisiana · Eunice · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8 A, built 1946 · all 8s on the register
- Registration
- N71261 · registry record · serial 2688
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during approach to land, the airplane struck a tree. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and front windshield. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach defining event
- Hard landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,228 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 1,220 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,496.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES (piston); 2,496 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 4R7 Eunice LA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 34, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 31, 2018. 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 Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N71261 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Luscombe 8 Silvaire 1,420 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Luscombe 1,472 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES · as the NTSB recorded it
- Eunice Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Louisiana 1,274 since 1982 · 188 in the last ten years
- Louisiana 3,729 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/GAA18CA244.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.