Luscombe 8E accident near Polson, Montana, August 3, 2007
On August 3, 2007 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Luscombe 8E, registered N45486, was substantially damaged in an accident near Polson, Montana (Polson 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
a flight control jam for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2007 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Polson, Montana · Polson Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E · all 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N45486 · registry record · serial 2013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was turning left base to final when the controls jammed. He applied rudder and added power in an attempt to compensate, but roll control was not regained. He reduced power and examined the cockpit area to see if anything was binding the controls. He did not identify anything in the cockpit that could have caused the binding. The airplane continued left thru two full turns (720 degrees) before the main landing gear contacted the ground, at which point the airplane cartwheeled and came to rest inverted. He egressed the airplane uninjured. The pilot stated to an FAA inspector that when he knew it was safe to approach the airplane, he checked the controls to see if they were still jammed and determined that they were no longer binding or jammed. They functioned normally. The on-scene FAA inspector examined the airplane's control system and could not identify any evidence of binding or jammed controls.
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: 4,200 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 4,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,549 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLVM Livingston MT at 12:30 pm
- Destination: K8S1 Polson MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,195 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N45486 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.