- Date
- August 11, 2006, 15:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Meadville, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N97541Stinson 108
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060811028869A
- Case key
- 64312
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 owner's failure to install the proper tailwheel spring clips, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll. A factor was his lack of a mechanic certificate.
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
During the landing roll, the Stinson 108 began a left turn. The pilot applied opposite rudder to counter the turn, but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the runway, struck a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the tailwheel spring clips had disconnected from the tailwheel springs, and were stretched and distorted. About 2 weeks before the accident, the owner of the airplane installed a new tailwheel and elected not to install the tailwheel spring clips provided with the kit, but instead to use the clips that were already on the airplane. The owner was not a certificated mechanic, nor did he consult with a mechanic during the installation process.
Factual narrative
During the landing roll, the Stinson 108 began a left turn. The pilot applied opposite rudder to counter the turn, but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the runway, struck a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the tailwheel spring clips had disconnected from the tailwheel springs, and were stretched and distorted. About 2 weeks before the accident, the owner of the airplane installed a new tailwheel and elected not install the tailwheel spring clips provided with the kit, but instead to use the clips that were already on the airplane. The owner was not a certificated mechanic, nor did he consult with a mechanic during the installation process.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97541
- Reported as
- Stinson 108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-541
- Engine
- Franklin 6-A4-150-B3, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ERI · Erie, PA
- Destination
- GKJ · Meadville, PA
- Airport
- GKJ · Port Meadville Airport, runway 7
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 296 total · 0 in this make and model · 36 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.