Stinson L-5E accident near Spanish Fork, Utah, September 14, 2002
On September 14, 2002 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Stinson L-5E, registered N8369H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spanish Fork, Utah (Spanish Fork-Springville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate use of rudder and failure to maintain direcctional control following a bounced landing. A contributing factor was the pilot's improper recovery from the bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2002 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Spanish Fork, Utah · Spanish Fork-Springville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson L-5E · all L-5Es on the register
- Registration
- N8369H · registry record · serial 44-17504
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed hard and bounced, and the pilot added power. When the airplane touched down again, the nose had drifted to the right and the airplane departed the runway. The pilot said, "I don't believe I applied sufficient rudder to offset the p-factor of the added power." The left main landing gear dropped into a hole and broke off. The airplane fell to the ground, damaging the outboard portion of the left wing spar and wing tip. The wooden prop was shattered, the firewall was wrinkled, and the carburetor and exhaust system were damaged.
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
- Flight time: 446 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 353 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,203 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2002; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-435-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U14 Nephi Municipal UT at 4:40 pm
- Destination: U77 Spanish Fork UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 5,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from PVU, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 DEN02LA108.