Luscombe 8E

Aircraft Manufacturer: Luscombe

Model: 8E

About the Luscombe 8E

The Luscombe 8E has cycled through far more registrations than it has kept. About two-thirds of every U.S. registry record the type has ever held now reads as deregistered, with more than 600 airframes off the U.S. civil registry against more than 300 that remain on it.

Within Luscombe's active fleet, the 8E ranks second. The model carries about 22% of the manufacturer's active registered aircraft.

The Luscombe 8E logs about 4 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years across the type's FAA-registration exposure. Set against its peer cohort of the same type, engine class, and seat range, the 8E lands near the midpoint, where a higher percentile marks a higher accident rate. Of 28 recorded accidents for the 8E, 3 were fatal.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Luscombe
Manufacturer Serial Number 8190112
Model 8E
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Cruise Speed 86 MPH / 75 knots
Weight Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 2 seats
Luscombe 8E Photo: MilborneOne — cc-by-sa-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Have a personal photo of the Luscombe 8E? Contact us.

Safety Analysis

Composition of NTSB accident records for this model in general-aviation operations (FAR Part 91 and 137), based on NTSB data as of May 1, 2026. It's a breakdown of recorded accidents rather than a safety rating, and types with significant non-GA operation (such as Part 135) may be under-represented.

100%
Identity Confirmed

Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).


28 exact, 0 recovered, 0 provisional

Methodology
28
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


3 fatal accidents.

10.7% of recorded accidents were fatal.

326
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


7,141

Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).


Comparison

Within its peer cohort

Within this model's peer class (same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range), comparison of its share of recorded NTSB accidents to its share of FAA registration exposure (aircraft-years since 2008).

This is a share comparison, not flight-hours adjusted, so a model flown more per airframe than its peers will show an accident share above its exposure share even if its per-hour safety is average. Methodology →

Model class Share of cohort
Accidents
0.7%
Exposure
0.8%
Time series

Accidents by year

Recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents per calendar year, derived directly from the NTSB accident database. Each bar shows the accidents that occurred in that year. Methodology →

Investigations take 12–36 months to finalise, so the trailing years come in incomplete. Recent years are adjusted upward for that lag. Observed counts show as solid bars, the lag-adjusted estimate shows hatched.

2008 – 2026 Total 28
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 28 observed): 2008 1, 2009 2, 2010 1, 2011 3, 2012 4, 2015 3, 2016 3, 2018 3, 2019 1, 2021 1, 2022 1, 2023 2, 2024 1, 2025 1, 2026 1. 2 4 6 8 0 1 '08 2 '09 1 '10 3 '11 4 '12 3 '15 3 '16 3 '18 1 '19 1 '21 1 '22 2 '23 1 '24 1 '25 3 '26
Composition

Phase of flight

Which phase of flight each accident occurred in, as coded by the NTSB. Most accidents happen in the phases where most flying time is concentrated, so this isn't a measure of which phase is most dangerous.

5 categories Total 28
Landing 17
Takeoff 6
Initial climb 2
Approach 2
Taxi 1
Causes

Finding category

Top-level NTSB cause category, from the coded investigation findings. An accident often has more than one finding, so totals here can exceed the recorded accident count.

NTSB top-level codes Total 75
Aircraft 33
Personnel issues 27
Environmental issues 15
Outcomes

Injury severity

NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.

Highest per accident Total 28
None 15
Minor 7
Fatal 3
Serious 3

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (28)

Recorded Accidents

All 28 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Meeker, CO N1398K unknown Fatal Takeoff unknown
Brush, CO N1739K Substantial Minor Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Truth or Consequences, NM N2669K Substantial Minor Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Cortez, CO N2515K Substantial None Landing Aircraft
Houston, TX N2722K Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Bridgeport, TX N1855K Substantial None Landing Environmental issues, Personnel issues, Aircraft
Jupiter, FL N2960K Substantial Fatal Initial climb Personnel issues, Aircraft
Sevierville, TN N2352K Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Millbrook, NY N2619K Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Environmental issues
New Carlisle, OH N2305K Substantial Serious Takeoff Environmental issues
Pottsville, PA N2022K Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Conway, AR N2604K Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Wilmington, OH N1750K Substantial Minor Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Juneau, WI N1263K Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Pontiac, MI N1406K Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Perry, OK N2789K Substantial Serious Takeoff Personnel issues
Fort Valley, GA N1745K Substantial Fatal Approach Personnel issues, Aircraft
West Bend, WI N2368K Substantial Minor Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft
Selinsgrove, PA N2052K Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft
Winslow, AZ N25E Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Westport, WA N1183K Substantial Minor Landing Environmental issues, Aircraft, Personnel issues
Atchison, KS N71911 Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Apex, NC N1902K Substantial Minor Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Taunton, MA N2790K Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Tillamook, OR N2466K Substantial Minor Approach Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft

Page 1 of 2 (showing accidents 1–25 of 28).

Data presented on this website is sourced directly from official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. To ensure accuracy, we try not to correct issues such as improper punctuation, spelling errors, empty fields, or unusual labels like "SALE REPORTED" for a registrant. We make every effort to present information as it appears in the FAA database. This website is not affiliated with any government agency.