Luscombe 8 accident near Batavia, Ohio, May 24, 2018
On May 24, 2018 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1946 Luscombe 8, registered N77922, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Batavia, Ohio (Clermont County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s use of an improper engine hand-propping procedure, which resulted in the airplane’s unexpected movement.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2018 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Batavia, Ohio · Clermont County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8 A, built 1946 · all 8s on the register
- Registration
- N77922 · no longer on the register · serial 3649
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, while hand-propping the engine, the engine started at full power, and the airplane jumped over the chocks and began moving in circles. Subsequently, to stop the airplane, an airport vehicle was driven into the airplane's tail. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The student recommended that better control of the throttle could have prevented the accident.
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
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 106 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: none
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,672 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental (piston); 1,672 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I69 Batavia OH at 1:15 pm
- Destination: I69 Batavia OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KLUK, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 2, 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | 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.
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.