Stinson 108-3 N703C

Summary

On 10 July 2013 at about 02:00 local time, a Stinson 108-3 registered N703C was involved in an accident near Blackfoot, Idaho, United States. One person was 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

10 July 2013 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Blackfoot, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

McCarley Fld (U02)

Coordinates

43.2353, -112.3169

Aircraft

Stinson 108-3

Registration

N703C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Blackfoot → Blackfoot

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA320

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The noncertificated pilot reported that the airplane had been airborne for about 15 minutes and was about 1,000 feet above ground level when the engine experienced a partial loss of power and the airplane began to lose altitude. The pilot switched fuel tanks, but there was no change in power, so he then made a forced landing to a wheat field. During the landing, the airplane flipped over and then came to rest inverted. The pilot estimated that about 4 to 5 gallons of fuel were on board at the time of the accident. The right fuel tank was not breached, and it contained residual quantities of fuel below the usable limit. The left fuel tank was not breached; however, its fuel tank cap was displaced during the accident sequence, so an accurate assessment of the quantity of fuel in the left tank could not be determined; however, a 4.5-foot-diameter area of fuel-soaked soil was found near the left wing. Although water was found in the left tank, it may have entered through the displaced fuel tank cap. A postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.