Stinson 108-2 accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, August 3, 2009
On August 3, 2009 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Stinson 108-2, registered N373C, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the failure of the crankshaft gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2009 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-2 · all 108-2s on the register
- Registration
- N373C · no longer on the register · serial 108-3373
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the pilot experienced a complete loss of engine power and initiated a forced landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage. A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector reported damage to the accessory section of the engine. A subsequent postaccident examination of the engine by a second inspector revealed that the crankshaft gear had failed, which resulted in significant damage to all the gears in the accessory section of the engine. Over 50 percent of the crankshaft gear could not be found, and the crankshaft gear appeared to have fractured and failed through both dowel pin slots. The engine was manufactured in 1947 and was the original engine installed by the factory at the time of the airframe's manufacture. The engine had accumulated 2,520 hours time in service and was overhauled 147 hours prior to the accident.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng rear section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,992 hours in all; 53 in the last 90 days; 253 in the last 30 days; 1,992 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 22, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,520 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 7, 2009; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,230 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-165 B-3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RKS Rock Springs WY at 5:30 pm
- Destination: TVY Tooele UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from SLC, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.