Stinson 108-1 accident near Burlington, Vermont, February 28, 1988
On February 28, 1988 at about 4:14 pm local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N97979, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burlington, Vermont (Burlington airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- February 28, 1988 · about 4:14 pm local time
- Place
- Burlington, Vermont · Burlington
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-1 · all 108-1s on the register
- Registration
- N97979 · registry record · serial 108-979
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS TAKING OFF FOR AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA. DURING GROUND RUN, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT UNDER CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK AND FLIPPED INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH BRAKES ON ONLY THE LEFT SIDE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THE PARKING BRAKE PAWL HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED AND COULD RESULT IN LOCKING OF THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER PISTON FOLLOWING BRAKE APPLICATION.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 849 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 793 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,944 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,078 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-150B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTV Burlington VT at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 7,807 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.