Stinson 108-3 accident near Osceola, Arkansas, August 1, 1993
On August 1, 1993 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Stinson 108-3, registered N4021C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Osceola, Arkansas (Osceola Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS WERE THE IMPROPER LATCHING OF THE ENGINE COWLING BY THE PILOT AND HIS INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1993 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Osceola, Arkansas · Osceola Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N4021C · no longer on the register · serial 108-5021
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB, THE RIGHT HALF OF THE ENGINE COWLING CAME LOOSE. THE PILOT STATED TO THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE THAT HE IMPROPERLY LATCHED THE COWLING ON THE PREFLIGHT. A TURN WAS INITIATED TOWARD THE AIRPORT AND ON A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE RUNWAY THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.
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: 155 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 155 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,260 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 30, 1992; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin GA4-165-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,800 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.