Stol UC-1 accident near Princeton, Texas, July 16, 1996
On July 16, 1996 at about 12:20 pm local time, a Stol UC-1, registered N9507U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Princeton, Texas. 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
improper adjustment of the left propeller governor which resulted in uncommanded feathering of the left propeller. Factors were: the airplane's inadequate engine out performance and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1996 · about 12:20 pm local time
- Place
- Princeton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stol UC-1 · all UC-1s on the register
- Registration
- N9507U · no longer on the register · serial 017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the left engine propeller 'went into feather, causing the engine to stall.' The pilot's attempts to unfeather the propeller and restart the engine were unsuccessful. The airplane's single engine performance was inadequate to maintain altitude. A forced landing was made to an open field, and during the landing roll the airplane impacted a ditch. Bench testing of the left engine propeller governor revealed that the feather stop was set at 2,000 rpm instead of the specified 1,690 rpm.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 18,000 as pilot in command; 17,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,063 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 1996; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 07F Gladewater TX at 11:10 am
- Destination: CDS Childress TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.