Stinson 108-3 accident near Hereford, Texas, August 3, 1987
On August 3, 1987 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Stinson 108-3, registered N6809M, was destroyed in an accident near Hereford, Texas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1987 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hereford, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N6809M · no longer on the register · serial 108-4809
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS TAKING OFF FROM A STATE HWY WITH A TRUCK BLOCKING TRAFFIC AT THE END OF A 2,500 FOOT STRETCH. THE PLT ELECTED TO TKOF TOWARD THE TRUCK, HOWEVER, DURING THE TKOF RUN, HE REALIZED THAT HE COULD NOT CLEAR THE TRUCK AND PULLED UP SHARPLY. DRNG THE PULL UP THE ACFT STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GRND IN A NOSE LOW, WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE PLT STATED THAT DRNG THE TKOF THE ENG APPEARED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. (EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE PLT HAD INTENTIONALLY LANDED ON THE ROAD TO VISIT A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE, HOWEVER, HE INDICATED IN AN INITIAL INTERVIEW THAT HE HAD LANDED DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENG THAT ALLEVIATED ITSELF ONCE HE WAS ON THE GRND. THE PLT DID NOT FILE AN ACC REPORT TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION.)
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: 590 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: DAL Dallas TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:50 pm
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.