Luscombe 8 accident near Bend, Oregon, August 30, 2024
On August 30, 2024 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1946 Luscombe 8, registered N71899, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bend, Oregon (Bend Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the left fuel valve, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2024 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bend, Oregon · Bend Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8 A, built 1946 · all 8s on the register
- Registration
- N71899 · registry record · serial 3326
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he departed with full fuel tanks, which should have provided about 3.5 hours of endurance. While enroute, the pilot noted the fuel levels in the two fuel tanks were uneven and were draining faster than expected and that the left fuel gauge appeared lower than the right gauge. The pilot had difficulty monitoring the airplane’s fuel levels because he perceived the fuel gauges to be inaccurate and the needles were bouncing. As the airplane approached the destination airport at the conclusion of the 2.5 hour flight, the engine suffered a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field, during which the airplane impacted a fence and came to rest inverted. As a result, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. Postaccident photos revealed the lower cabin insulation was fuel soaked, and fuel staining was observed beneath the left fuel valve. The pilot reported that both fuel tanks were devoid of fuel after he impacted the ground. When fuel was fed into the airplane’s left fuel line after the accident, the left fuel valve began to leak from around the valve shaft. Figure 1: The left fuel valve and fuel system diagram. Based on the available information it is likely that the airplane lost an unknown quantity of fuel due to a leak in the left fuel valve, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
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 exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel distribution › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 340 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 12, 2023
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,557 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 349 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LWS Lewiston ID at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from KBDN
Weather report (METAR): KBDN 302015Z AUTO VRB05KT 10SM CLR 33/M08 A3015 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of airplane from drone.
Photograph 2 – View of airplane from forward right.
Photograph 3 – View of left fuel valve.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 8, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Video File | MOV file | Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.