Luscombe 8F accident near Newport, Maine, January 26, 2003
On January 26, 2003 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Luscombe 8F, registered N1484B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newport, Maine (Newport Sky Park airport). 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
The fatigue failure of a the cylinder wall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 2003 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Newport, Maine · Newport Sky Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8F · all 8Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1484B · registry record · serial 6111
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While descending to land the engine lost total power. The cabin of the airplane began to fill with smoke, and the pilot performed a forced landing to the airport. During the descent, the airplane struck trees and impacted a snow bank. Examination of the airplane revealed a hole along the outer wall of the number one cylinder barrel. The number one cylinder was forwarded to the Safety Board Materials Lab for examination. The lab noted that the fracture was in the cylinder barrel between the 3rd and 6th cooling fins from the mounting flange. Major portions of the fracture contained fatigue features that initiated from the radius between the 3rd and 4th fins approximately in line with the exhaust valve. There was no evidence of defects at the origin area of the fatigue cracking. The cylinder had accumulated about 530 hours of total operation.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,338 hours in all; 844 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,046 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 2002; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C.90-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWI Wiscasset ME at 4:00 pm
- Destination: ME68 Newport ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BGR, 18 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.
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.