- Date
- September 8, 1990, 14:59 local (20:59 UTC)
- Place
- Gallup, NM
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8631KStinson 108-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900908038459A
- Case key
- 17846
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 inadvertently stalling his aircraft at an insufficient altitude to effect a recovery. A factor was high density attitude.
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
High density altitude conditions prevailed at the time the pilot attempted a takeoff. In addition, the aircraft was within 25 pounds of maximum gross weight. The aircraft was observed climbing to about 100 feet. The aircraft then began losing altitude, entered a steep bank, and impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude. Density altitude was 9,100 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8631K
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-3381
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-150-B3, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mcdonald, Rick L.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Destination
- INW · Winslow, AZ
- Airport
- CUP · Municipal
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 481 total · 447 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- GUP, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.