Stinson 108 N6020M

Summary

On 23 July 2022 at about 18:00 local time, a Stinson 108 registered N6020M was involved in an accident near Batesburg, South Carolina, 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

23 July 2022 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Batesburg, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

33.9278, -81.5920

Aircraft

Stinson 108

Registration

N6020M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1947

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Saluda → Columbia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA333

Nobody was injured.

The fatigue failure of the crankshaft gear, resulting in a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff the engine sustained a total loss of engine power caused by fatigue failure of the crankshaft gear, necessitating the pilot to perform an off-airport forced landing that resulted in substantial damage. The fatigue fracture initiated from multiple origins at a corner of a keyway cut in the gear. The crankshaft gear underwent magnaflux inspection and was approved for return to service associated with an engine overhaul nearly 8 years and 247 hours earlier. While there was no evidence of plating at the fatigue initiation site, it could not be determined from the available evidence whether the fatigue existed in the part at the last inspection or how fast the fatigue crack was growing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.