20200123001709I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Stinson 108-1 · Hays, KS · January 23, 2020

Date: January 23, 2020 · 12:30 local
Place: Hays, KS
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N97644
Reported as: Stinson 108-1
Reported engine: Franklin 6A4150 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,000 total130 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N97644Registered now · Stinson 108-1S/N 108-644 · Built 1946 Airframe modelStinson 108-1 Engine modelFranklin 6A4150 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

During down wind taxiing to the take off runway, the pilot started a turn to take the active runway. He admits he became distracted by a back seat passenger and turned around to talk to them. He suspects he relaxed the control input to the elevator at this time. As he felt the tail start to rise, he applied heavy braking causing the tail to rise even further, resulting in the prop striking the taxiway, causing minor damage to the prop, but no further damage or injury to the pilot and passengers.

As the FAA filed it

DURING DOWN WIND TAXIING TO THE TAKE OFF RUNWAY, THE PILOT STARTED A TURN TO TAKE THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. HE ADMITS HE BECAME DISTRACTED BY A BACK SEAT PASSENGER AND TURNED AROUND TO TALK TO THEM. HE SUSPECTS HE RELAXED THE CONTROL INPUT TO THE ELEVATOR AT THIS TIME. AS HE FELT THE TAIL START TO RISE, HE APPLIED HEAVY BRAKING CAUSING THE TAIL TO RISE EVEN FURTHER, RESULTING IN THE PROP STRIKING THE TAXIWAY, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROP, BUT NO FURTHER DAMAGE OR INJURY TO THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS.