Stinson 108 N97168

Summary

On 31 July 2003 at about 20:05 local time, a Stinson 108 registered N97168 was involved in an accident near White Post, Virginia, United States. One person was 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.

Date

31 July 2003 at 20:05

Classification

Accident

Location

White Post, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

White Post Airport (3VA7)

Coordinates

39.0625, -78.0914

Aircraft

Stinson 108

Registration

N97168

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

White Post → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC03LA175

Nobody was injured.

The pilot/ mechanic's improper annual inspection including his rigging of the elevator flight control, and his subsequent inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane prior to flight, when he failed to detect the improperly rigged elevator flight control, both of which resulted in restricted up elevator control during the flare.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The owner/mechanic overhauled the engine and gave the airplane an annual inspection. He took off on the first flight after the maintenance and when the airplane was on final approach, as he added the last notch of flaps, heard a sound which he described as a "ping." When he retarded the throttle shortly there after, he was unable to arrest its descent, and the airplane dove to the ground and nosed over. An FAA inspector reported that when he exercised the up elevator movement was intermittently restricted by a radio rack. The radio rack was tight in place and there was no evidence that it had shifted or was loose. Further, the up elevator movement was half of that specified for the airplane, and the down elevator movement was 150 percent of that specified.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.