- Date
- September 30, 1989, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hudson, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8607KUniversal Stinson 108-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890930044119A
- Case key
- 17789
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
Partial loss of engine power for an unknown reason. A factor related to the accident was: the alfalfa crop.
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 plt (PIC) & the previous owner/plt (pax) were flyling the acft for familiarization. They took off to the south with the wind from 180 deg at 15 gusting 20 KTS. Density alt was aprx 7600 ft. the pax said that during the initial climb at about 200 ft AGL, the plane entered a 'downdraft.' The PIC said the acft began a dscnt with a high sink rate. Also, he said the eng RPM 'started to decrease' & the eng lost power. The pax said the eng sounded like it 'loaded up' during the encounter with the downdraft, but that it contd running. The plt maneuvered the acft to the right to land in an alfalfa field. During the landing, the acft nosed over & came to rest inverted. A post-acdnt exam of the eng provided no evidence to explain the rprtd loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8607K
- Reported as
- Universal Stinson 108-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1607
- Airframe hours
- 2,019
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-150-B3, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vernon Hoppes
- Registered owner
- Vernon Hoppes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 16, 1986 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- 18V
- Destination
- 18V
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 629 total · 300 in this make and model · 548 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.