Stinson 108-3 accident near Moose Creek, Idaho, October 24, 1948
On October 24, 1948 at about 11:55 pm local time, a Stinson 108-3, registered NC6404, was destroyed in an accident near Moose Creek, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOTS ATTEMPTED VFR FLIGHT IN IMC CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE SNOW SHOWERS AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 1948 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Moose Creek, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- NC6404 · no longer on the register · serial 1084404
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON OCTOBER 24, 1948, THE PILOT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP AT THE MOOSE CREEK RANCH AT 1645. TWO OTHER PILOTS THAT DEPARTED AT THE SAME TIME REPORTED ENCOUNTERING HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS ALONG THE SELWAY RIVER AS THEY HEADED WESTBOUND. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND IN APRIL, 1987, 19 MILES WEST OF MOOSE CREEK, IN THE SELWAY RIVER DRAINAGE, IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE WRECKAGE EXHIBITED CHARACTERISTICS CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT WITH TREES AND TERRAIN IN CRUISE 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 50 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1948; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1U1 Moose Creek ID at 11:45 pm
- Destination: LWS Lewiston ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.