- Date
- April 19, 1997, 13:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Smithfield, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9063KStinson 108-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970419006239A
- Case key
- 38267
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
a fracture in the crankshaft, which resulted in a total loss of engine power, a forced landing, and a nose over.
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 in cruise flight, the pilot noticed that the engine 'became a little rough,' oil pressure was bleeding off, and the tachometer was fluctuating, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot elected to land in a field, touched down, rolled about 240 feet, before 'soft dirt' caused the airplane to nose over. Examination of the engine revealed it would not rotate, but oil and fuel were present. The engine was disassembled, and examination revealed that the crankshaft had cracked completely through at the number one connecting rod journal. The fracture appeared to be clean with no exterior evidence of an existing crack or deterioration of any kind. The fracture did have within it, ridges and valleys and what appeared to be air bubbles near the ridges and valleys.
Factual narrative
On April 19, 1997, about 1320 eastern daylight time, a Stinson 108-1, N9063K, registered to a private owner, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91, local personal flight, nosed over during a forced landing, near Smithfield, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot was not injured.
While in cruise flight the pilot noticed that the engine "became a little rough," oil pressure was bleeding off and the tachometer was fluctuating, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot elected to land in a field, touched down, rolled about 240 feet, before the "soft dirt" caused the airplane to nose over.
Examination of the engine revealed it would not rotate, oil and fuel were present. The engine was disassembled on May 5, 1997, under the supervision of the FAA, and according the FAA Inspector's statement; "...it was noted that the crankshaft had cracked completely through at the number one connecting rod journal. This crack appeared to be clean with no exterior evidence of an existing crack or deterioration of any kind. The crack did have within it ridges and valleys and what appeared to be air bubbles near those ridges and valleys...."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9063K
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-2063
- Airframe hours
- 1,205
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-150-B3, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John F. Talton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 1997 · 42 hours before
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
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 516 total · 92 in this make and model · 466 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °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.
Other investigations on N9063K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.