NTSB CEN25LA089 — 2025-01-27 · Brush, Colorado, United States

Current FAA registration · N1739K

Make / Model: LUSCOMBE 8E
Year of manufacture: 1946 · 79 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR C85 SERIES (85 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19560323
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A127EF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N1739K Luscombe 8E Minor

Probable cause & findings

The failure of the left main landing gear forward strut.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane touched down on all 3 landing gear wheels. During the landing roll at about 30 to 35 miles per hour, the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest upright on its nose and left wing and the fuselage and left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported the winds were calm during the landing. Postaccident examination by the airplane owner revealed the left main landing gear strut was fractured, and the rear strut was bent aft. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Main gear strut/axle/truck-Failure
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_CEN25LA089.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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