Stinson 108-1 accident near Smithfield, North Carolina, April 19, 1997
On April 19, 1997 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N9063K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Smithfield, North Carolina. 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
a fracture in the crankshaft, which resulted in a total loss of engine power, a forced landing, and a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1997 · about 5:20 pm local time · cases in 1997
- Place
- Smithfield, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-1 · all 108-1s on the register
- Registration
- N9063K · registry record · serial 108-2063
- 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 pilot noticed that the engine 'became a little rough,' oil pressure was bleeding off, and the tachometer was fluctuating, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot elected to land in a field, touched down, rolled about 240 feet, before 'soft dirt' caused the airplane to nose over. Examination of the engine revealed it would not rotate, but oil and fuel were present. The engine was disassembled, and examination revealed that the crankshaft had cracked completely through at the number one connecting rod journal. The fracture appeared to be clean with no exterior evidence of an existing crack or deterioration of any kind. The fracture did have within it, ridges and valleys and what appeared to be air bubbles near the ridges and valleys.
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
- Flight time: 516 hours in all; 92 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 466 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,205 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 8, 1997; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-150-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N9063K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9063K on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Stinson 108 Voyager and Station Wagon 1,268 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Stinson 1,728 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-150-B3 768 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,123 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N9063K 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA97LA144.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.