Stinson 108-3 N993C
12 April 1989 · Aurora, Colorado, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 12 April 1989 at about 17:00 local time, a Stinson 108-3 registered N993C, operated by Lepka, Richard L., was involved in an accident near Aurora, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Aurora, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Aurora (01V)
- Coordinates
- 39.7407, -104.7809
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3
- Registration
- N993C
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Lepka, Richard L.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN89LA107
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
THE INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT. LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT IS CONSIDERED A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE COMMERCIAL PLT/A&P/IA WAS COMPLETING OVER HAUL AND RESTORATION OF THE STINSON. ACCORDING TO THE PRIVATE RATED PAX, THE PLT DECIDED TO TAKE THE PLANE AROUND THE PATTERN FOR A TEST FLIGHT. THE PLT SAID IN HIS WRITTEN REPORT THAT NO FLIGHT WAS INTENDED. BOTH THE PLT AND THE PAX AGREE THAT DURING TAKEOFF GROUND RUN, A STRONG GUST HIT THE PLANE, RAISING THE RIGHT WING. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT, THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE TERRAIN, AND THE ACFT CARTWHEELED. THE FUSELAGE, BOTH WING SPARS, AND THE STABILATOR WERE BROKEN. A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN MOVED FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE TO THE REAR OF A HANGAR, STRIPPED OF ALL INSTRUMENTATION, AND ABANDONED. WITNESSES AND THE AIRPORT MANAGER REPORTED THE ACCIDENT THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE PLT DID NOT REPORT THE ACCIDENT TO THE NTSB OR FAA UNTIL CONTACTED BY LETTER. THE PLT REPORTED THAT A 'DUST DEVIL' STRUCK THE AIRCRAFT BUT THE PAX AND WITNESSES REPORTED A STRONG GUST.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Stinson 108 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 1989 | Stinson 108-2 | Custer, South Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 1989 | Stinson 108-2 | Athol, Idaho, United States | William E. Rooks | Fatal | 2 |
| 25 Feb 1989 | Stinson 108-1 | Albany, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 1989 | Stinson 108-2 | Cedar, Michigan, United States | R. Miller | No injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 1989 | Stinson 108-3 | Livermore, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 1989 | Stinson 108 | Avalon, California, United States | Waterman, David K. | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,217 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jan 1989 | Cessna 172 | Longmont, Colorado, United States | Denver Air Center | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1989 | Piper PA-31T | Craig, Colorado, United States | Cummins Power Inc | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 1989 | Beechcraft V35B | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 1989 | Cessna P210N | Durango, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Feb 1989 | Piper PA-18-150 | Boulder, Colorado, United States | Boulder Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 9 Feb 1989 | Cessna 152 | Gill, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |