Luscombe 8E accident near Auburn, California, May 2, 1998
On May 2, 1998 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Luscombe 8E, registered N2435K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, California. 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 pilot's improper use of carburetor heat and the rough/uneven (furrowed) terrain. A contributing factor was carburetor icing conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1998 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, California · 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
- N2435K · no longer on the register · serial 5162
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had been flying approximately 500 to 800 feet below a cloud layer that he estimated to be broken at 4,000 agl. He noted a loss of engine power and rpm's, and applied carburetor heat. Engine power and rpm cleared up, but then ran rough again with the pilot making a precautionary landing in an open field. After touchdown, the pilot encountered poor braking action due to the wet grass. The aircraft came to rest inverted after colliding with a furrow which crossed the field. A weather reporting system located approximately 20 nm from the accident site reported a temperature of 64 degrees and a dew point of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the carburetor ice probability chart, the potential existed for moderate icing during cruise at those temperatures. The cloud layer was reported as broken with the lowest layer at 7,000 feet. The estimated freezing level in the accident area was approximately 8,500 feet msl.
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: 801 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 750 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,010 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1997; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUN CA at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from BAB, 20 miles away
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 N2435K 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.