Stinson 108-3 N798C

Summary

On 3 November 1996 at about 19:30 local time, a Stinson 108-3 registered N798C was involved in an accident near Tyler, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 November 1996 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Tyler, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Pounds Field (TYR)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Stinson 108-3

Registration

N798C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jacksonville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA035

Nobody was injured.

a loss of engine power due to failure of the crankshaft. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he observed the 'tachometer RPM changing drastically' while the airplane was on a 2 to 2.5 mile extended downwind leg for landing on runway 13. The pilot reported the anomaly to the tower, advising that he needed to land. The tower controller immediately issued the pilot a clearance to execute a left turn and proceed for a straight-in approach to runway 17. The pilot further stated that about 30 seconds after turning for runway 17, the engine started 'to make a loud popping and backfiring noise,' followed by total loss of power. The pilot notified the controller of his predicament and advised that he would not be able to reach the runway. The pilot elected to land the airplane on a nearby field to the right of his course, approximately 1.5 miles north of the threshold for runway 17. During the landing roll, the main gear hit a drainage ditch along the side of a road that crossed the field, and the airplane nosed over. Examination and teardown of the engine revealed that the crankshaft had failed in a heavy cast area (web) between the #1 and #2 rod journals.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.