Stinson 108 accident near Denver, Colorado, June 1, 2020
On June 1, 2020 at about 4:20 pm local time, a 1949 Stinson 108, registered N6518M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Denver, Colorado (Colorado Air And Space Port airport). 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing during variable wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2020 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Colorado Air And Space Port · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108 3, built 1949 · all 108s on the register
- Registration
- N6518M · registry record · serial 108-4518
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed at the airport in a tail-wheel equipped airplane, when he lost directional control and the airplane ground looped. During the ground loop the wing contacted the ground and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The rudder and vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage. Post-accident examination of the airplane did not reveal any flight control anomalies. Wind recorded at the time of the accident reported variable wind at speeds between 4 and 8 knots.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 829 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 11, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4165 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CFO Denver CO at 4:45 pm
- Destination: CFO Denver CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 8,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots, gusting 8
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 22,000 ft; a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KDEN, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN20CA204.