Stinson 108-2 accident near Athol, Idaho, July 22, 1989
On July 22, 1989 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Stinson 108-2, registered N8061K, was destroyed in an accident near Athol, Idaho (Hackney airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND INADVERTENTLY STALLED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 1989 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Athol, Idaho · Hackney · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-2 · all 108-2s on the register
- Registration
- N8061K · no longer on the register · serial 108-3061
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT WAS PRACTICING LANDINGS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD DURING A FLY-IN. IT WAS ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO FLIGHT THAT THE OWNER/PILOT WAS PILOT-IN-COMMAND. THE SURVIVING INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE PILOT INITIATED A GO-AROUND AND THEN SUDDENLY ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT, ENTERING INTO A STALL AT TOO LOW OF AN ALTITUDE TO RECOVER.
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: 830 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1989; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: COE Coeur D'Alene ID
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.