Luscombe 8A accident near Eatonville, Washington, August 6, 2009
On August 6, 2009 at about 3:20 am local time, a Luscombe 8A, registered N28425, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Eatonville, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's inadequate in-flight fuel management. Contributing to the accident was the airplane's lack of an interconnected fuel vent system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2009 · about 3:20 am local time
- Place
- Eatonville, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N28425 · no longer on the register · serial 1292
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's engine lost power during cruise flight and the pilot executed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the main landing gear encountered tall grass and collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage sustained structural damage. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation. The airplane was equipped with two 12.5-gallon wing fuel tanks, each of which had its own two-position (on-off) fuel selector valve. The left wing fuel tank was found empty and the right wing fuel tank contained about 4.5 gallons of fuel. During the accident flight, both fuel selector valves were in the 'ON' position, which was the pilot’s normal operating procedure. The airplane does not use an interconnected fuel vent system, but instead uses individual vents in the caps of each tank. With both fuel tank selector valves in the 'ON' position, if one vent is plugged, or partially misaligned, the vent pressure difference will result in unequal fuel flow to the engine and will move fuel from the higher pressure vent/tank to the lower pressure vent/tank. Also, if both fuel tank selector valves are in the 'ON' position, prolonged uncoordinated flight with one wing lower than the other will result in unequal fuel flow to the engine and in fuel flowing from the high to the low wing tank. The loss of engine power was likely due to unequal fuel feed to the engine from the two wing fuel tanks, which resulted in the left tank running dry and interrupting fuel flow to the engine. The reason for the unequal fuel feed was not determined.
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
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Design
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 430 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 26, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,791 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 2009; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PLU Puyallup WA at 2:00 am
- Destination: PLU Puyallup WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:10 am from PLU, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.