Stinson 108-1 accident near Bloomington, Indiana, July 27, 1998
On July 27, 1998 at about 3:26 pm local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N483C, was destroyed in an accident near Bloomington, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to a fractured number 5 and number 6 cylinder connecting rods for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1998 · about 3:26 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-1 · all 108-1s on the register
- Registration
- N483C · registry record · serial 108-3483
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was approximately 15 miles north of Bloomington, Indiana, cruising at 4,500 feet msl, when it began to vibrate excessively. The pilot looked at his oil pressure gage and found it reading zero. The pilot shut down the engine and began executing a forced landing to a field. The pilot said that when the airplane started to settle, he saw a guard rail by a road in front of him. The pilot pulled back in an attempt to clear the rail, but the airplane did not have enough airspeed. The airplane struck the guard rail and stopped. The pilot and passenger got out of the airplane before is caught fire and burned. Examination of the airplane's engine revealed that the number 5 and 6 cylinder connecting rods were broken. A six-inch by 4-inch hole was found in the top of the engine crankcase just above the number 5 and number 6 cylinders.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 580 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 385 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,021 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 1998; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,225 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: IN43 Pekin IN at 1:20 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from BMG, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.