Stinson 108-3 N6912M

Summary

On 22 April 2001 at about 02:00 local time, a Stinson 108-3 registered N6912M was involved in an accident near Glennallen, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 April 2001 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Glennallen, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.9833, -146.4500

Aircraft

Stinson 108-3

Registration

N6912M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cordova → Big Lake

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC01LA050

1 person had minor injuries.

A total failure of the engine and subsequent rupture of the crankcase during cruise flight. A factor in the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, holder of a student pilot certificate, was on a cross-country personal flight over remote terrain. While in cruise flight, the engine suddenly began producing a heavy vibration. It also began to smoke and produce oil on the windshield, and then the propeller stopped. The airplane began to descend and the pilot turned toward a small frozen lake, located about 5 miles from a major highway. The area around the lake was surrounded by tall trees. The pilot selected a forced landing area between several trees in an area only large enough to fit the main fuselage. During the collision, the windshield was broken out, the cabin doors were torn off, and the wings were extensively damage, including rupturing of the wing fuel tanks. The cockpit area remain intact and the pilot exited the airplane with a small backpack. A postcrash fire then erupted and the airplane was consumed. The flight was not reported overdue, and no emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signals were detected by search and rescue personnel. The following day, the pilot said he used a handheld radio to contact an airplane flying over the area and requested assistance. The pilot of the other airplane landed on the small frozen lake and picked up the pilot. Following the accident, the pilot reported that internal components of the engine failed and ruptured the engine case.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.