- Date
- September 13, 2024, 20:00 local (Sep 14, 2024, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lime Village, AK · Treed vegetation next to lake
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N691EStinson 108-3
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240913017949A
- Case key
- 195178
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing in tree-covered terrain.
Findings · 6
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that after departure in a float-equipped airplane from a remote lake, and as the airplane climbed to about 150 ft above ground level, all engine power was lost. The pilot switched the fuel selector to the reserve tank. The engine momentarily regain power but after about 15 seconds the engine again lost all power. The pilot conducted a forced landing into tree-covered terrain, during which both wings and the empennage sustained substantial damage. The pilot’s postaccident examination revealed the reserve fuel tank was leaking fuel, and the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel. After the accident, the pilot reported he was trying to fly with minimum fuel to conserve weight, and he could have had more fuel onboard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N691E
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1085047
- Airframe hours
- 4,302
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 13, 2024
- Departed
- 2AK · Lime Village, AK
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 29, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 805 total · 750 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- PASV, 37 nm away
- METAR
- PASV 140355Z AUTO VRB01KT 10SM CLR 09/04 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP115 T00910043
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.