Stinson 108-1 accident near Frankenmuth, Michigan, December 12, 2002
On December 12, 2002 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N8469K, was destroyed in an accident near Frankenmuth, Michigan (Wm 'Tiny' Zehnder Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2002 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Frankenmuth, Michigan · Wm 'Tiny' Zehnder Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-1 · all 108-1s on the register
- Registration
- N8469K · no longer on the register · serial 108-1469
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain about 2 minutes after takeoff from an airport located about 0.9 miles north of the accident site. Witnesses reported that the airplane entered a left bank turn at an altitude of about 200 feet above ground level before impacting terrain consistent with a low-speed nose-down impact. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The pilot's toxicology report, reported the presence of 0.058 (ug/ml, ug/g) diphenhydramine detected in blood and diphenhydramine present in urine. Diphenhydramine is an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative affects, most commonly used to treat allergy symptoms, but also indicated for severe nausea and itching.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,149.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 2002
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-150-B31 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 66G Frankenmuth MI at 7:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,506 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,800 ft; clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from MBS, 21 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.
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.