Stinson 108 accident near Pahokee, Florida, February 16, 2022
On February 16, 2022 at about 4:10 pm local time, a 1948 Stinson 108, registered N6493, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Pahokee, Florida (Palm Beach County Glades airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s incorrect tail wheel takeoff procedure, and the flight instructor’s lack of remedial action, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2022 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Pahokee, Florida · Palm Beach County Glades · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108 3, built 1948 · all 108s on the register
- Registration
- N6493 · no longer on the register · serial 108-4493
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving tail wheel instruction (student pilot) stated that during takeoff, he raised the tail wheel too high, and the propeller contacted the ground. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The student pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions and the flight instructor confirmed the student pilot’s statement. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspection revealed substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer.
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
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 7.2 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 1.5 in the last 30 days; 190 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 12, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,100 hours in all; 825 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 25, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,075.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 335 (piston); 30,751 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 19 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KPBI, 32 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPBI 161553Z 10019G24KT 10SM SCT031 SCT042 SCT250 25/16 A3038 RMK AO2 SLP286 T02500156
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 25, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilots' Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.