NTSB LAX82DA217 — 1982-06-12 · DELANO, California, United States

Current FAA registration · N2013B

Make / Model: LUSCOMBE 8A
Engine: CONT MOTOR C85 SERIES (85 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19561015
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A1987D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N2013B Luscombe 8A Serious

Factual narrative

THE PILOT AND HIS DAUGHTER WERE ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING A FORCED LANDING APPROACH TO A HIGHWAY, THE PILOT NOTICED SOME POWERLINES WHICH HE WENT UNDER. HE AVOIDED THE POWERLINES, BUT HIT A TRUCK. THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE DESTINATION. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HAD NO RECOLLECTION ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. HIS DAUGHTER RELATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT RAN OUT OF FUEL. DURING AN INVESTIGATION, FUEL WAS FOUND IN BOTH TANKS. THE RIGHT TANK HAD THE LOWEST LEVEL OF FUEL WITH 3 GALLONS REMAINING. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVES WERE FOUND TO BE VERY STIFF AND COULD NOT BE SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REBUILT FROM 3 OTHER PLANES AND DID NOT HAVE THE LUSCOMBE AUTHORIZED FUEL SYSTEM INSTALLED. THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY DURING AN OPERATIONAL CHECK. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1982_LAX82DA217.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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