Stinson 108-3 accident near Bend, Oregon, August 4, 1994
On August 4, 1994 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Stinson 108-3, registered N6276M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bend, Oregon (Bend Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER USE OF THE CARBURETOR HEAT BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ENGINE PERFORMANCE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: ROUGH TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1994 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Bend, Oregon · Bend Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N6276M · no longer on the register · serial 108-4206
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT MADE TWO APPROACHES TO THE AIRPORT IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND. BOTH TIMES, SHE MADE GO-AROUNDS. DURING THE SECOND GO-AROUND, THE PILOT DID NOT SHUT OFF THE CARBURETOR HEAT. SHE NOTED A DECREASE IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB. SHE DECIDED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A FIELD. HOWEVER, DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED ROUGH TERRAIN AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE CARBURETOR HEAT VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE OPEN POSITION.
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: 368 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 265 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,615 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1993; 33 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: S21 Sunriver OR at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,005 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:05 pm
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 N6276M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.