Stinson 108 accident near Holladay, Tennessee, September 19, 2006
On September 19, 2006 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Stinson 108, registered N97651, was substantially damaged in an accident near Holladay, Tennessee. 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
A total loss of engine power in cruise flight due to the fatigue failure of the crankshaft gear resulting in a forced landing and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2006 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Holladay, Tennessee
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108 · all 108s on the register
- Registration
- N97651 · registry record · serial 108-051
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over during a forcd landing after a loss of engine power. The pilot stated he was in cruise flight at 3,500 feet when the engine lost power, "just like it was running out of fuel." The pilot immediately switched the fuel selector valve from the right main fuel tank to the left main fuel tank, applied carburetor heat, and checked that the mixture was full rich. He attempted two engine restarts which were unsuccessful. The pilot observed a forced landing area to his left and entered left traffic to a bean field. While on final approach the pilot moved the fuel selector valve to the off position. The airplane touched down, rolled about 50 feet and nosed over inverted. The airplane was turned over by recovery personnel and examined by the FAA. The upper fuselage and vertical stabilizer received structural damage. Two gallons of fuel was present in the left wing fuel tank and there was evidence of fuel leakage at the accident site. The right main fuel tank had traces of fuel and there was evidence of leakage at the crash site. The airplane was transported to Salem, Indiana, for further examination by the FAA. A differential compression test was performed on the engine and verified the compression test preformed in Tennessee. The No. 2, No. 3, and No. 6 rocker covers were removed and the propeller was turned by hand. Crankshaft and connecting rod movement was observed; however no movement of the camshaft was observed during the crankshaft rotation. The accessory case was removed and the crankshaft gear (P/N 17725), which drives the camshaft gear was found in two pieces. The crankshaft gear had failed at the two keyway slots. A small portion of one key was separated and dislodged from its location in the crankshaft and was found in the engine breather, with the major portion of the key remaining in the crankshaft. The other keyway was damaged. The crankshaft gear pieces and key pieces were forwarded to the NTSB Materials Laboratory Division in Washington, D.C. for further analysis. Examination of the components revealed that one of the fracture surfaces on the crankshaft gear displayed features consistent with fatigue initiating in a corner of one of the keyways. Further examination revealed a small radius had been cut into the larger radius of the keyway and created a location for operational stresses to concentrate. The fracture of the other keyway displayed features consistent with an overload event.
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: 869 hours in all; 391 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 869 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,864 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMOR Morristown TN at 2:15 pm
- Destination: KTGC Trenton TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from KHZD, 17 miles away
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.