Stinson 108-1 accident near Topeka, Kansas, July 10, 2000
On July 10, 2000 at about 1:45 am local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N9442K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Topeka, Kansas (Sunset Strip 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the restricted fuel line, and the pilot not attaining proper runway alignment during the forced landing. Factors were the low altitude at which the engine failure occurred, and the landing gear overload.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2000 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Topeka, Kansas · Sunset Strip
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-1 · all 108-1s on the register
- Registration
- N9442K · registry record · serial 108-2442
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power on initial climb from a private airstrip. The pilot said that had been flying for about 10 minutes when a, '... miss developed in [the] engine.' The pilot elected to land and then proceeded to drain fuel from the gascolator and carburetor bowl. After finding no debris or water in the fuel samples, the pilot started the engine and performed an extended run-up where the engine appeared to be operating normally. The pilot proceeded to take off and during the climb out the engine lost power. The pilot elected to land the aircraft on the runway in the opposite direction of takeoff. The pilot said that he, 'Landed hard on [the] right main gear collapsing it [and] dropping on to [the] right wing and slid to [a] stop on [the] edge of [the] runway.' A postaccident examination of the aircraft failed to reveal any anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition. The pilot said that the fuel line from the gascolator to the carburetor appeared to have had the rubber liner shaved by the fitting during assembly restricting the flow of fuel.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 584 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 519 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,915 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 1999; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,230 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT KS at 1:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Observation at 1:53 am from FOE, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 CHI00LA187.