Stinson 108-3 accident near Port Of Del Bonita, Montana, May 5, 2025
On May 5, 2025 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1948 Stinson 108-3, registered N108RM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Port Of Del Bonita, Montana (Whetstone Intl airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2025 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Port Of Del Bonita, Montana · Whetstone Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson 108-3, built 1948 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N108RM · registry record · serial 108-5257
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that prior to landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he obtained the current weather at his destination airport, where the wind was reported as calm. During the landing, after touchdown, he felt a large wind gust push the airplane to the left. The airplane then veered left and departed the runway through a barbed wired fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the right elevator and fuselage. The pilot confirmed that the right side rudder steering arm separated during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. At about the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 25, with the wind from 360° at 22 knots.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 311 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 184 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 5, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,331.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2025; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CTB Cut Bank MT at 3:12 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07/2, 4,440 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from KCTB, 29 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCTB 051456Z AUTO 36022KT 10SM BKN060 OVC075 06/M03 A3024 RMK AO2 PK WND 36030/1444 SLP251 T00611033 51021 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
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 WPR25LA151.