Luscombe 8 accident near Lincoln, California, August 18, 2011
On August 18, 2011 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Luscombe 8, registered N45725, was involved in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Lincoln, California (Lincoln Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger's accidental fall while turning the propeller by hand to start the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2011 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lincoln, California · Lincoln Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8 A · all 8s on the register
- Registration
- N45725 · registry record · serial 2252
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the passenger was turning the propeller by hand to start the engine (hand-propping) when the engine “kicked back.” The passenger lost his balance, slipped, and fell to the pavement, striking his head. The pilot stated that after the fall the passenger said that he felt fine and that, en route to their destination, the passenger talked as he normally did. The pilot learned that, two days after the passenger suffered the fall, his wife had him admitted to the local hospital and that, the following day, the passenger had succumbed to what the local medical examiner described as a subdural hematoma as a result of an accidental fall.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 370 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,475 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2010; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental C65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CA92 Paradise CA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: CA92 Paradise CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from LHM
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.