Stinson 108-3 accident near Gypsum, Colorado, January 11, 2026
On January 11, 2026 at about 9:08 pm local time, a 1948 Stinson 108-3, registered N6725M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Gypsum, Colorado (Unnamed Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 2026 · about 9:08 pm local time
- Place
- Gypsum, Colorado · Unnamed Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3, built 1948 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N6725M · registry record · serial 108-4725
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 11, 2026, at 1408 mountain standard time, a Stinson 108-3 airplane, N6725M, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Gypsum, Colorado. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, before the flight the airplane’s fuel system contained about 17 gallons that was evenly distributed between the left and right fuel tanks. He intended to takeoff and conduct a full stop landing at the unnamed private airstrip before continuing to Mc Elroy Airfield (20V), Kremling, Colorado. The pilot reported that the takeoff was to the southeast and he flew a teardrop pattern to return to land toward the northwest. As he maneuvered the airplane back toward the airstrip, he selected carburetor heat on, propeller control full forward, and kept the mixture setting leaned for the high-altitude engine operation. He subsequently turned off the carburetor heat when the airplane was on final approach and the landing was assured. The pilot increased the throttle a couple times after the airplane entered an area of sinking air associated with the canyons beneath the airplane’s flight path. He noted that these throttle responses were normal. However, during short final approach, about 25 ft above the ground, the airplane encountered additional sinking air and he “sharply” increased the throttle from near idle to an intermediate position. According to the pilot, the engine “coughed/sputtered” after he rapidly increased the throttle. The pilot reported that due to the low altitude of the airplane and its proximity to the runway, he continued at a higher-than-normal rate of descent toward the runway. The pilot attempted to flare the airplane as it approached the runway threshold, but it “pancaked” onto the runway and slid to a stop in a nose down pitch attitude. Based on law enforcement photos, the airplane contacted tree tops and then dispersed broken tree branches beneath the airplane’s flight path about 30 yards from where the airplane came to rest on the runway. The airplane’s welded steel-tube fuselage and engine mount sustained substantial damage during the hard landing. Both propeller blades exhibited impact-related damage consistent with propeller rotation at impact. A review of the airplane’s digital engine monitor data did not reveal any evidence of an engine malfunction during the 2 minute 36 second flight. However, due to the device’s 6-second recording interval there was insufficient data to confirm a loss of engine power before the hard landing and interruption of electrical power. The airplane wreckage was recovered to a secure storage facility for further examination.
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 landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,694.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 9, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 20V Gypsum CO at 9:06 pm
- Destination: 20V Kremmling CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 1,200 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.62 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KEGE, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KEGE 112056Z 00000KT 10SM CLR M02/M11 A3062 RMK AO2 SLP426 T10171111 56032 $=
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 CEN26LA087.