Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E accident near Mojave, California, September 8, 1998
On September 8, 1998 at about 5:30 am local time, a Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E, registered N1716K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mojave, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1998 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Mojave, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E LUSCOMBE 8 · all LUSCOMBE 8Es on the register
- Registration
- N1716K · no longer on the register · serial 4443
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he had last received fuel a couple months ago at Porterville, and since then, had only flown the aircraft 1.7 hours. He kept the aircraft tied down outside. After rolling out of a left turn, the engine began to run rough and the rpm started to decrease. He switched fuel tanks, but reported that it didn't help. He initiated an emergency landing onto an asphalt track and during the approach, collided with electrical power lines that ran perpendicular to the track. He stated that he had not seen the power lines. The aircraft impacted the ground and came to rest about 200 feet from the power lines in a 50-degree nose down attitude. The FAA inspector who responded to the site reported that the fuel tanks were found intact. Aircraft retrievers drained 1.25 total gallons of fuel from the aircraft. There was also about 1 gallon of fuel on the ground. No discrepancies were found during an engine examination. The fuel vents were clear and unobstructed. There was no fuel found in the carburetor or the fuel lines.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,598 hours in all; 172 in this make and model; 860 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,181 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 27, 1996; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L71 California City CA at 5:20 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.
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.