Stinson 108 accident near Dickens, Texas, March 27, 2011
On March 27, 2011, a Stinson 108, registered N97383, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dickens, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-instrument rated pilot's decision to fly in night instrument meteorological conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2011
- Place
- Dickens, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108 · all 108s on the register
- Registration
- N97383 · no longer on the register · serial 108-383
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain in night instrument meteorological conditions. There were no known eyewitnesses who saw the takeoff or accident. The wreckage was located in a pasture area of rolling hills by a local resident, approximately 1.25 miles southeast of the departure airfield. Ground scars and the wreckage path led to the main wreckage, which was oriented on a heading of 100 degrees. The pilot was not instrument rated and it was not determined whether he obtained a weather briefing. Although it is uncertain whether he obtained a weather briefing, the conditions on the night of the accident were obviously instrument conditions with overcast skies at 500 feet. The non-instrument rated pilot exhibited poor decision-making when he elected to fly in those conditions. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control in flight during unknown defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during unknown
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Low light › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 5, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 27, 2010; 239 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-150-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Dickens TX
- Destination: Rockdale TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from LBB, 53 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.