Stinson 108-3 N7659X

Summary

On 3 December 2022 at about 16:09 local time, a Stinson 108-3 registered N7659X was involved in an accident near Regent, North Dakota, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 December 2022 at 16:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Regent, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

46.4281, -102.5279

Aircraft

Stinson 108-3

Registration

N7659X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mott → Mott

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN23LA058

3 people had minor injuries.

The pilot failed to maintain clearance from high tension wires while maneuvering at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while maneuvering the airplane at low altitude to observe sculptures on the ground, he did not see the high-tension wires due to diverted attention and the setting sun. The airplane collided with the wires, the vertical stabilizer sheared off, and the engine seized. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain. The empennage and left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.