Stinson SR-8B accident near Tacoma, Washington, May 24, 2009
On May 24, 2009 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Stinson SR-8B, registered N17119, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Tacoma, Washington (Tacoma Narrows airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The application of unintended braking input due to the pilot's failure to keep his feet correctly positioned on the rudder pedals during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2009 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Tacoma, Washington · Tacoma Narrows · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson SR-8B · all SR-8Bs on the register
- Registration
- N17119 · registry record · serial 9819
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a firmer than normal three-point touchdown in the tail wheel-equipped airplane, the pilot's feet slid down low on the rudder pedals, where they inadvertently came in contact with the floor-mounted heel brakes. Therefore, as the pilot made directional control inputs to the rudder pedals, he also made unintended brake applications. Those brake applications resulted in the airplane rolling up onto its nose, and then falling off to one side. When it fell off to one side, the end of the wing came in contact with the runway, resulting in damage to its interior primary structure. The pilot said there was no malfunction of the rudder or braking systems.
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
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Unintentional use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 81 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 7, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,948 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 3,750 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R-680-13 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S50 Auburn WA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: KTIW Tacoma WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
Other NTSB records under N17119 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR09CA260.