Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8F accident near Georgetown, California, October 7, 2015
On October 7, 2015 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1958 Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8F, registered N9918C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Georgetown, California (Georgetown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2015 · about 6:30 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Georgetown, California · Georgetown · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8F, built 1958 · all LUSCOMBE 8Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9918C · no longer on the register · serial S-22
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the private pilot were conducting a biennial flight review in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that he conducted a normal three-point landing but that, a few seconds later, the airplane bounced and, shortly thereafter, it veered about 30 degrees right. The pilot applied full power as the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The airplane then impacted sloping terrain adjacent to the runway, slid down it, and came to rest. The pilot reported no abnormalities with the airplane that would have precluded normal 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,105 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 32.5 in the last 90 days; 4.2 in the last 30 days; 2,006 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,980 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 4, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 3,086 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-12F (piston); 2,980 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E36 Georgetown CA at 6:15 pm
- Destination: E36 Georgetown CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,980 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from KAUN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on May 5, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Instructor Flight Experience - 6120.1 Page 9 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Phone Conversation -flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Phone Interview with Flight Instructor | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos of the Airplane | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9918C: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8 184 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Silvaire 200 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C90-12F 54 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Georgetown Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,897 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR16LA004.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.