Stinson 108-1 accident near Selawik, Alaska, December 18, 2009
On December 18, 2009 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N136SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Selawik, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate during landing, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 2009 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Selawik, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-1 · all 108-1s on the register
- Registration
- N136SP · registry record · serial 108-931
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was on a personal cross-country flight when he encountered whiteout conditions; he then reversed course to return to the departure airport. He reported that the visibility continued to diminish and he elected to land the ski-equipped airplane on a frozen, snow-covered lake. He said that the airplane landed hard on the uneven terrain, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the terrain. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident and that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Whiteout › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 25 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4150 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PASK Selawik AK
- Destination: PABL Buckland AK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N136SP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.