Stinson 108 accident near Auburn, California, May 5, 2007
On May 5, 2007 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Stinson 108, registered N97648, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, California (Auburn Municipal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during an aborted landing that resulted in a stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2007 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, California · Auburn Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108 · all 108s on the register
- Registration
- N97648 · no longer on the register · serial 108648
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with terrain during an aborted landing. The pilot observed weather and airport traffic for an hour before departing. He planned on conducting a 30-minute local flight. When he returned to the airport and was in the traffic pattern, he observed the windsock, and noted varying crosswind and quartering headwind conditions; these were confirmed to be 9 knots gusting to 16 knots when he then checked the automated weather observation system (AWOS). Upon touchdown, the pilot experienced a strong gust from the north, and he applied full power with the intention of aborting the landing. The airplane lifted off and began a climb, then stalled, and landed hard between the runway and parallel taxiway, spreading the main landing gear and bending the airframe structure behind the cabin. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,368 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 109 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4150 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUN Auburn CA
- Destination: AUN Auburn CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:30 pm from AUN
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.