Luscombe 8A accident near Benson, Arizona, August 2, 2005
On August 2, 2005 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N71780, was substantially damaged in an accident near Benson, Arizona (Benson Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2005 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Benson, Arizona · Benson Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N71780 · registry record · serial 3207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway during landing and the right main gear collided with a berm. The owner, who does not hold any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificates (including a student pilot certificate), said that during the landing roll, the tail-wheel equipped airplane began to swerve to the left of the runway centerline. The airplane continued to veer to the left and departed the runway surface. The right main landing gear impacted a dirt mound and the airplane came to rest on the right wing. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 37 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E95 Benson AZ at 1:30 pm
- Destination: E95 Benson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX05CA256.