Stinson 108-1 accident near Fareweel, Alaska, August 9, 1990
On August 9, 1990, a Stinson 108-1, registered N8708K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fareweel, 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 DECISION TO TAKEOFF DOWNWIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1990
- Place
- Fareweel, 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
- N8708K · no longer on the register · serial 108-1708
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE FLEW FOR ABOUT 600 FEET THEN SETTLED DOWN INTO THE BUSHES. HE ATTRIBUTED THIS TO A GUSTY 10-15 KNOT TAILWIND. THE AVAILABLE TAKEOFF AREA WAS ABOUT 500 FEET LONG. THE PILOT'S LAST BFR WAS IN 1981, AND FAA MEDICAL WAS IN 1984.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 68 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,230 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 700 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.