Stinson 108-3 accident near Palmetto, Florida, February 6, 2026
On February 6, 2026 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1955 Stinson 108-3, registered N528C, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Palmetto, Florida (Manatee 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 preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2026 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Palmetto, Florida · Manatee · 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 1955 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N528C · registry record · serial 108-3528
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before the accident flight, the pilot added 4 gallons of automotive fuel from a gas can to the airplane and planned to fly to another airport to obtain fuel, as none was available at the departure airport. Upon reaching the destination airport, the pilot attempted to land, but then performed a go-around due to the wind conditions. While on the base leg of the traffic pattern for the second landing approach, the engine lost power completely. The pilot then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane’s landing gear struck an irrigation ditch and it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing struts, the tail, and the forward fuselage. Following the accident, the pilot reported that when the airplane was being recovered from the field, only a trace amount of fuel could be drained from the fuel tanks. The pilot also stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that the airplane was, “…obviously out of fuel.”
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 landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 20, 2026
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,599.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2025; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 (piston); 2,605 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FD77 Wimauma FL at 4:15 pm
- Destination: 48X Palmetto FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,120 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 am from SPG, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSPG 061553Z 28005KT 10SM CLR 14/03 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP204 T01390028
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 ERA26LA108.