Stinson 108-3 accident near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, May 13, 2002
On May 13, 2002 at about 6:59 pm local time, a Stinson 108-3, registered N2243M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Tuscaloosa Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots loss of directional control during landing roll, and subsequent inadvertent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2002 · about 6:59 pm local time
- Place
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama · Tuscaloosa Muni · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N2243M · registry record · serial 108-4127
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll the pilot lost directional control of the airplane, and veered off to the right of the runway.The right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane reentered the runway and ground looped. No mechanical problems were reported by the pilot.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,003 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,547 as pilot in command; 107 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 10, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,778 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2001; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-435-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAI Marianna FL at 8:40 pm
- Destination: TCL Tuscaloosa AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 6,499 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 6:59 pm from TCL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL02LA098.