Luscombe 8E accident near Brigham City, Utah, January 20, 2008
On January 20, 2008, a Luscombe 8E, registered N71730, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Brigham City, Utah (Brigham City 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 failure of the landing gear/ski attachment assembly due to inadequate maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2008
- Place
- Brigham City, Utah · Brigham City · map
- 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
- N71730 · registry record · serial 3157
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off in his ski-equipped airplane. Upon accelerating through 65 mph, just as the airplane was beginning to climb, the pilot heard a noise coming from the side of the airplane. He saw that the tip of a ski was dislodged from its normal position, and was upside down. After evaluating the situation, the pilot decided to land on the same ski runway. As the airplane decelerated following touchdown, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane swerved and nosed over. During the subsequent examination of the airplane, a bungee cable, used to secure and position one of the skis to the landing gear strut, was found too long. The ski assembly shock cords on the skis were found to be in poor condition, aged, and weak.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Wheel/ski/float › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 640 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMC Brigham City UT
- Destination: BMC Brigham City UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34R, 7,501 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.