# NTSB SEA97LA039: Stinson 108-2, N233C, Friday Harbor, WA, December 20, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 20, 1996, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC) - Place: Friday Harbor, WA - Coordinates: 48.339492, -122.670997 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.3395&lon=-122.6710&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 30, 1997 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 42549 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA97LA039 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/42549/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA039 ## Probable cause failure of the engine (powerplant) for undetermined reason(s). A factor relating to the accident include: being over water at the time of power failure. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malf, climb - powerplant - undetermined (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Ditching, emergency landing - terrain condition - water (contributing factor) ## Analysis After takeoff, the airplane was climbing through 2,500 feet mean sea level (MSL), when the engine began to vibrate severely and make loud metallic banging sounds. After about 10 seconds, the engine experienced a full loss of power, and the pilot was unable to get it restarted. Because he was too far from shore to be able to glide to land, he elected to ditch the airplane next to a fishing trawler. The airplane nosed over at impact with the water and sank to a depth of about 300 feet after the pilot safely egressed. The airplane and its maintenance log books were not recovered. ## Factual narrative On December 20, 1996, about 1430 Pacific standard time, N233C, a Stinson 108-2 airplane, operated by Yelm Aviation, McKenna, Washington, ditched about 2 miles from Friday Harbor, Washington, and is presumed destroyed. The ditching was preceded by a loss of engine power during climb. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The business flight departed from Friday Harbor, Washington, about 1425 and was destined for Yelm, Washington. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. The pilot stated that he had fueled the airplane at Friday Harbor for the flight back to Yelm after a business meeting. The previous flight from Yelm was uneventful. The pilot stated that the preflight inspection, engine start-up, engine run-up, and takeoff were "smooth." While climbing over the Puget Sound through 2,500 feet above mean sea level, the engine "began to vibrate severely with a metallic banging sound." The pilot stated that the noise and vibration lasted about 10 seconds, after which the engine went silent and the propeller windmilled. After all attempts to restart the engine had failed, the pilot ditched the airplane next to a fishing trawler. The airplane nosed over at impact with the water and sank to a depth of about 300 feet after the pilot safely egressed. According to the pilot, the engine, a Franklin model 6A4-165-B3, received an annual inspection by the pilot during the past year with no unresolved discrepancies noted. The aircraft and its maintenance log books where not recovered from the waters of the Puget Sound, and no determination was able to be made as to the reason for the loss of power. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N233C](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N233C-2011-09-21), registration cancelled 2011-09-21, S/N 108-3233, built 1947 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Stinson 108-2 - Registry model: [Stinson 108-2](https://openairdocs.org/model/stinson-108-2) (registry code 9230406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Franklin 6A4165 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6a4165-series) (registry code 27025, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 108-3233 - Engines: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 165 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Operator: Yelm Aviation - Registered owner: Ken And Candy Leggett - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: FHR, WA - Destination: WA72, YELM, WA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 47; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 3,500 total, 17 in this make and model, 54 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 6 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 18,000 ft broken - Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: KNU, 2 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19961220045389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961220045389A), Dec 20, 1996: Univar 1082, Friday Harbor, WA, Destroyed. Lost power on climbout. Ditched off end runway. Sank. Engine vibration and metallic noise prior. Unable find cause. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.