Stinson 108-1 accident near Spray, Oregon, September 14, 1998
On September 14, 1998 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Stinson 108-1, registered N8666K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spray, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power, and the pilot's subsequent misjudgment of clearance with a transmission wire during a precautionary landing approach. The reason for the power loss was not determined; however, the pilot reported that it was not of a mechanical nature. The transmission wire was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 1998 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Spray, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-1 · all 108-1s on the register
- Registration
- N8666K · registry record · serial 108-1666
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported through counsel that on descent to his destination, he experienced a 'rough engine' and attempted a precautionary landing at a farm airport. He stated he 'misjudged [a] power line on approach' to the precautionary landing area, striking the power line and landing hard in a farm field. The pilot's report indicated no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved, expressing a belief that the power loss was due to carburetor icing. Temperature and dewpoint reported at the nearest weather observation station during the accident time frame did not indicate that a carburetor ice hazard existed. An FAA inspector who examined the wreckage the day after the accident found the airplane's fuel tanks nearly full of automotive or mixed automotive/aviation fuel; however, the pilot's accident report indicated the pilot did not know how much fuel was on board at the last takeoff. The pilot had not received a required biennial flight review in approximately 11 years, and he did not possess a current medical certificate. Additionally, the airplane had not received any inspections in the last 4 years.
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: 453 hours in all; 115 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,613 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 12, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 2,078 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OR49 Kimberly OR at 9:00 pm
- Destination: Spray OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:46 pm from 5J0, 44 miles away
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.