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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2002 · about 5:30 pm local time · cases in 2002
- Place
- Spanish Fork, Utah · Spanish Fork-Springville · cases near this airport · 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 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8369H on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Stinson L-5 125 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Stinson 1,728 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-435-1 135 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Nephi Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Utah 1,440 since 1982 · 263 in the last ten years
- Utah 8,354 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DEN02LA108.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.