Stinson 108-3 N108RM

Summary

On 5 May 2025 at about 15:30 local time, a Stinson 108-3 registered N108RM was involved in an accident near Port of Del Bonita, Montana, 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

5 May 2025 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Port of Del Bonita, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Whetstone Intl (H28)

Coordinates

48.9981, -112.7806

Aircraft

Stinson 108-3

Registration

N108RM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1948

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cut Bank → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA151

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s loss of directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that prior to landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he obtained the current weather at his destination airport, where the wind was reported as calm. During the landing, after touchdown, he felt a large wind gust push the airplane to the left. The airplane then veered left and departed the runway through a barbed wired fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the right elevator and fuselage. The pilot confirmed that the right side rudder steering arm separated during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. At about the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 25, with the wind from 360° at 22 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.