- Date
- July 24, 1982, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Laporte, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N97904Stinson 108-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 24, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820724031619A
- Case key
- 71366
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot/mechanic was preparing to make an annual inspection of the aircraft. He was in the process of flight testing the plane to find defects when engine stoppage occurred. While landing in a bean field. The left tire blew out and the left gear dug into the soil and collapsed. An examination of the aircraft revealed that the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank which was empty. The right tank still contained about 13 gallons of fuel. The pilot stated that the owner had not advised him that the fuel quantity gauges were not reading correctly. He reported that the gauges indicated 3/4 full when he initially took off and that the engine lost power a short time later. Also, he reported that he forgot to switch fuel tanks after he lost engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97904
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108904
- Airframe hours
- 1,805
- Engine
- Franklin 64A-150-B3, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Robert R. Swank
- Registered owner
- Charles Verhostra
- Departed
- Laporte, IN
- Destination
- Laporte, IN
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 3,881 total · 50 in this make and model · 3,766 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 176 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.