Luscombe 8E accident near Compton, California, March 25, 1995
On March 25, 1995 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Luscombe 8E, registered N2232K, was destroyed in an accident near Compton, California (Compton 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 pilot's poor preflight inspection, the mechanic's poor annual inspection, and the leaking fuel caps which allowed water to contaminate the fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 1995 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Compton, California · Compton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8E · all 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N2232K · no longer on the register · serial 4959
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS BEGINNING A LOCAL VFR FLIGHT. WHEN THE AIRPLANE REACHED THE WEST BOUNDARY OF THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE SUSTAINED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING STRUCK A GAS STATION SIGN DURING THE RESULTING EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST, INVERTED, ABOUT 108 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE SIGN. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT BOTH WING FUEL CAPS DID NOT SEAL AGAINST THE FILLER NECK AND THE UNDAMAGED GASCOLATOR BOWL CONTAINED WATER. THE CARBURETOR BOWL, ACCELERATOR PUMP HOUSING, AND THE INLET OIL SCREEN DISPLAYED EXTENSIVE RUST PARTICLES.
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: 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,263 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 1994; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,460 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25L, 3,670 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N2232K 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.