Stinson 108-1 accident near Laporte, Indiana, July 24, 1982
On July 24, 1982 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N97904, was substantially damaged in an accident near Laporte, Indiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 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
- July 24, 1982 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Laporte, Indiana · map
- 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
- N97904 · registry record · serial 108904
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT/MECHANIC WAS PREPARING TO MAKE AN ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FLIGHT TESTING THE PLANE TO FIND DEFECTS WHEN ENGINE STOPPAGE OCCURRED. WHILE LANDING IN A BEAN FIELD. THE LEFT TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE LEFT GEAR DUG INTO THE SOIL AND COLLAPSED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE LEFT TANK WHICH WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT TANK STILL CONTAINED ABOUT 13 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE OWNER HAD NOT ADVISED HIM THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES WERE NOT READING CORRECTLY. HE REPORTED THAT THE GAUGES INDICATED 3/4 FULL WHEN HE INITIALLY TOOK OFF AND THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER A SHORT TIME LATER. ALSO, HE REPORTED THAT HE FORGOT TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS AFTER HE LOST ENGINE POWER.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,881 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3,766 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,805 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 64A-150-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Laporte IN at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Laporte IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 176°F (80°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 CHI82DA272.