- Date
- September 1, 1989, 10:38 local (17:38 UTC)
- Place
- Cool, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N97628Stinson 108
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890901033619A
- Case key
- 26492
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
Failure of the #2 piston. Failure of the mechanic to properly overhaul the engine was a related factor.
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
While climbing to cruise altitude, the engine sustained a loss of power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot elected to land on an access road. The landing was uneventful, but during the landing roll-out, the left wheel pant struck a road marker. The airplane then yawed to the left, exited the roadway, and went thru a barbed wire fence and onto a dirt field. An engine examination disclosed the #2 piston was destroyed. The piston was not identified as being the correct one for the engine. The engine had accrued 145 hours since major overhaul. The overhaul was performed by an A&P mechanic.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97628
- Reported as
- Stinson 108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-628
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-165, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cassen, Gary A.
- Registered owner
- Gary A Cassen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AUN · Auburn, CA
- Destination
- Q61 · Georgetown, CA
- Airport
- 001 · Auburn
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 305 total · 100 in this make and model · 264 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.