Luscombe 8A accident near Novato, California, July 7, 2026
On July 7, 2026 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1946 Luscombe 8A, registered N45886, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Novato, California (Gnoss Fld airport). 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2026 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Novato, California · Gnoss Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Luscombe 8A, built 1946 · all 8As on the register
- Registration
- N45886 · registry record · serial 2413
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 7, 2026, about 1200 Pacific daylight time, a Luscombe 8A, N45886, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Novato, California. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. While conducting touch-and-go takeoff and landings on runway 31 at Gnoss Field (DVO), Novato, California, the engine experienced a partial loss of power during the departure climb about 600 ft above ground level. As the pilot attempted to return to the departure runway, he applied carburetor heat and the engine briefly regained power before experiencing a total loss of power. The pilot then moved the fuel selector from the wing tanks to the fuselage tank; however, he was unable to restart the engine. Subsequently, the airplane touched down in an area of soft gravel about 10 ft short of runway 13, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid about 20 ft before it came to rest upright. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that both wings sustained substantial damage. The airplane was recovered for further examination.
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 engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,872 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 2026; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: DVO Novato CA at 6:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,303 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,900 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from KDVO, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDVO 071855Z AUTO 25008G14KT 210V280 10SM BKN019 18/13 A3005 RMK AO2
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 NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N45886 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 WPR26LA251.