Stinson 108-3 accident near Beaumont, Texas, May 23, 2013
On May 23, 2013 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Stinson 108-3, registered N121CM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Beaumont, Texas (Beaumont Municipal Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The lack of a forward clamp on the carburetor heat box rubber boot, which allowed the boot to be ingested into the inlet of the carburetor heat box, restricting the airflow and leading to a subsequent partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2013 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Beaumont, Texas · Beaumont Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N121CM · registry record · serial 108-4284
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane's engine lost partial power shortly after takeoff. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude, so he executed a forced landing to a field, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination revealed that the rubber boot between the carburetor heat box and cowl was missing its forward clamp, which was not found in the wreckage The clamp was likely missing because an improper clamp was used or a clamp was not installed properly, which allowed the boot to come loose and to be ingested into the inlet of the carburetor heat box, restricting the airflow and resulting in a rich fuel mixture and the subsequent partial loss of engine power. No other anomalies were found with the engine or its systems.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Air intake › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Air intake › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4165 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aircapital Nevada INC
The flight
- Departed from: BMT Beaumont TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: CLL College Station TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from BMT
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.
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 CEN13LA305.