Stinson 108-1 accident near Vashon, Washington, January 5, 1984
On January 5, 1984 at about 4:10 am local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N97016, was destroyed in an accident near Vashon, Washington (Wax Orchards airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- January 5, 1984 · about 4:10 am local time
- Place
- Vashon, Washington · Wax Orchards · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-1 · all 108-1s on the register
- Registration
- N97016 · no longer on the register · serial 108-1016
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
JUST AFTER TAKING OFF IN IMC AT NIGHT, THE ACFT CRASHED NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF RWY 36. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE ACFT CLIMBED AFTER TAKEOFF TO ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE THE TREES, THEN ENTERED A DESCENT & DISAPPEARED BEHIND A TREE LINE. AFTER CRASHING, THE ACFT WAS DEMOLISHED BY FIRE. NO ABNORMALITIES OF THE ACFT WERE FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES REPORTED THERE WAS A LOW OVERCAST AT ABOUT 500 FT & OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN. THE ACFT WAS OVERDUE FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION & THE PLT'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE HAD EXPIRED. A CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.142% (142 MG%).
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: 339 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 268 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 24, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 2,078 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-150B3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°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.