Luscombe 8A accident near Minden, Nevada, July 17, 2016
On July 17, 2016 at about 3:50 pm local time, a 1947 Luscombe 8A, registered N2759K, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Minden, Nevada (Minden airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of a main landing gear leg during takeoff due to corrosion, which resulted in a nose-over during the subsequent landing on a grassy area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2016 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Minden, Nevada · Minden · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A, built 1947 · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N2759K · registry record · serial 5486
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that, during the takeoff rotation, he heard a noise that seemed to be coming from the landing gear. Once airborne, the passenger observed the right wheel, including the axle assembly, hanging sideways from a brake cable. The pilot subsequently landed on a grassy area between the runway and a taxiway with the left wheel first, holding the right side off the ground as long as possible. The right main landing gear (MLG) leg then contacted the ground and skidded for about 50 ft before it dug into the grass, which resulted in a nose-over. Postaccident examination of the right MLG leg revealed that it failed at the axle cluster, which had internal corrosion; the upper portion of the leg was not sealed. The type certificate holder had issued a service recommendation (SR) over 20 years before the accident that addressed corrosion damage above the axle weld area, which had led to the failure of MLG legs. The owner stated that this SR had not been accomplished on the airplane. It is likely that the accident could have been prevented if the SR had been accomplished even though it was not required by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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
- Aircraft structural failure during takeoff defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 11,400 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 11,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 22, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,008 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 7, 2016
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 2,200 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEV Minden NV at 3:10 pm
- Destination: MEV Minden NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 7,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KMEV
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.
Other NTSB records under N2759K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR16LA141.