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20200917019329A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Stinson 108-2 · Newport, PA · September 17, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 17, 2020 · 12:54 local
Place
Newport, PA
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N336C
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA20LA320
Reported as
Stinson 108-2
Reported engine
Franklin 6A4165 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
15,000 total15 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days
N336CRegistered now · Stinson 108-2S/N 108-3336Airframe modelStinson 108-2Engine modelFranklin 6A4165 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.

On 9-17-20 at around 12:15 local, a Stinson 108, NC336C lost engine power inflight near Newport, PA. The aircraft was substantially damaged during the forced landing that followed. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. Pilot reported sudden engine roughness, cutting in and out during normal cruise flight. Pilot switched tanks, turned on carb heat, checked primer locked, but these did not improve the situation. Pilot began pumping throttle, which would cause the engine to surge back to life for a few seconds. Pilot stated this extra thrust was not enough to extend the glide to an airport, so he setup to land in a cut corn field. The field had a pronounced downslope he did not notice, and coupled with his high and fast approach, led the aircraft to overshoot the field and cross a road, impacting a berm and entering a soybean field. Fuel was observed leaking from aircraft carburetor area. Inspector on scene drained less than one gallon of clean fuel from right tank. Inspector reported left tank contained a substantial amount of fuel. Aircraft was transported to blairstown, NJ and examined by FAA and NTSB personnel. According to their written report the carburetor mixture control cable was found disconnected at the carburetor. The carburetor mixture lever on the carburetor was found in idle cutoff position. The screw or bolt that would have connected the mixture control cable connector fitting to the carburetor mixture arm was not located.

As the FAA filed it

ON 9-17-20 AT AROUND 12:15 LOCAL, A STINSON 108, NC336C LOST ENGINE POWER INFLIGHT NEAR NEWPORT, PA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE FORCED LANDING THAT FOLLOWED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. PILOT REPORTED SUDDEN ENGINE ROUGHNESS, CUTTING IN AND OUT DURING NORMAL CRUISE FLIGHT. PILOT SWITCHED TANKS, TURNED ON CARB HEAT, CHECKED PRIMER LOCKED, BUT THESE DID NOT IMPROVE THE SITUATION. PILOT BEGAN PUMPING THROTTLE, WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SURGE BACK TO LIFE FOR A FEW SECONDS. PILOT STATED THIS EXTRA THRUST WAS NOT ENOUGH TO EXTEND THE GLIDE TO AN AIRPORT, SO HE SETUP TO LAND IN A CUT CORN FIELD. THE FIELD HAD A PRONOUNCED DOWNSLOPE HE DID NOT NOTICE, AND COUPLED WITH HIS HIGH AND FAST APPROACH, LED THE AIRCRAFT TO OVERSHOOT THE FIELD AND CROSS A ROAD, IMPACTING A BERM AND ENTERING A SOYBEAN FIELD. FUEL WAS OBSERVED LEAKING FROM AIRCRAFT CARBURETOR AREA. INSPECTOR ON SCENE DRAINED LESS THAN ONE GALLON OF CLEAN FUEL FROM RIGHT TANK. INSPECTOR REPORTED LEFT TANK CONTAINED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUEL. AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED TO BLAIRSTOWN, NJ AND EXAMINED BY FAA AND NTSB PERSONNEL. ACCORDING TO THEIR WRITTEN REPORT THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED AT THE CARBURETOR. THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE LEVER ON THE CARBURETOR WAS FOUND IN IDLE CUTOFF POSITION. THE SCREW OR BOLT THAT WOULD HAVE CONNECTED THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE CONNECTOR FITTING TO THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE ARM WAS NOT LOCATED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA20LA320Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportNewport, PAA total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to a disconnected carburetor mixture control cable which allowed the carburetor mixture lever to migrate to the cut-off position during flight.Sep 17, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N336C · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19890320023239IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Bozeman, MTForced landing on road due to engine failure. Rod bearing failed and cap bolts failed.Mar 20, 1989Incident 19811210084819ITakeoff Ground Roll · Kalispell, MTZe strong gusty crosswind lifted wing on takeoff roll, other wing, prop hit runway. Crosswind exceeded control.Dec 10, 1981 · Reported as Cessna 180 · Minor damage