Stinson V77 accident near Jordan, Minnesota, September 14, 2016
On September 14, 2016 at about 2:10 pm local time, a 1944 Stinson V77, registered N715FB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Jordan, Minnesota. 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 partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2016 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Jordan, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson V77 NO SERIES, built 1944
- Registration
- N715FB · registry record · serial 77-443
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a personal flight to break in the recently overhauled engine. After about 30 minutes, when the airplane was about 2,000 ft above ground level, the engine started to backfire and lose power. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the problem by switching fuel tanks; adjusting the engine throttle, mixture, and propeller controls; and selecting the individual magneto positions, to no avail. He performed an emergency landing to a soft field; the airplane subsequently nosed over during the landing roll, and the rudder sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examinations of the airframe, engine, and magnetos found no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at cruise power. Thus, it is likely that the engine lost power due to serious carburetor icing.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 281 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 10,800 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 28, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 158 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,999 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R680-13 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGS South St Paul MN at 1:20 pm
- Destination: SGS South St Paul MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from MSP, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 24, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FAA Emails | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Exam Notes | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Magneto Test Results | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | FAA Saib | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.