Stinson 108 N4059C

Summary

On 2 September 2018 at about 13:20 local time, a Stinson 108 registered N4059C was involved in an accident near Indiana, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 September 2018 at 13:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Indiana, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Indiana County/Jimmy Stewart F (IDI)

Coordinates

40.6358, -79.1106

Aircraft

Stinson 108

Registration

N4059C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1949

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Indiana → Indiana

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA242

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power as a result of debris contamination of the fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot and instructor departed on a local instructional flight, completing about 35 minutes of airwork before returning to the airport to practice takeoffs and landings. They performed several landings and used full carburetor heat during each approach. During the initial climb for the last takeoff, the engine response was "normal" until about 300 ft above ground level, when the engine "abruptly" lost total power. The flight instructor took the flight controls, attempted to restore engine power, and turned the airplane toward a clearing, where it impacted trees before impacting the ground. Fuel samples from the wings, gascolator, and carburetor revealed solid debris similar to dirt and orange sealant in all samples. Additionally, an air filter element was found lodged in the carburetor venturi. Because the airplane had flown for a few hours since maintenance was completed and the engine stopped producing power "abruptly," it is likely that the engine was starved of fuel as a result of the debris that migrated through the fuel system, which resulted in the total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.