Stinson 108-3 accident near Quilcene, Washington, May 12, 2026
On May 12, 2026 at about 5:49 pm local time, a 1947 Stinson 108-3, registered N588C, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Quilcene, Washington. 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2026 · about 5:49 pm local time
- Place
- Quilcene, Washington · 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 1947 · all 108-3s on the register
- Registration
- N588C · registry record · serial 108-3588
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 12, 2026, at about 1049 Pacific daylight time, a Stinson 108-3 airplane, N588C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Quilcene, Washington. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that during his preflight inspection of the airplane, he did not note any oil leaks, and the engine oil dipstick showed about 7.5 quarts of oil. About 15 minutes after departure, the engine began to run rough. The pilot applied carburetor heat, switched magnetos, and switched fuel tanks to resolve the engine roughness, but was unsuccessful. He then decided to divert to a nearby airport. Shortly after the pilot began his turn to the airport, the engine emitted a loud bang, oil covered the windscreen, and smoke began filling the cabin. As the pilot began maneuvering toward a farm field to land, a fire began burning in the engine compartment and progressed to the lower forward cabin near the pilot’s feet. He landed the airplane in a grassy field, and during the landing roll, the airplane impacted a ditch. The pilot exited the airplane and used the airplane’s fire extinguisher and mud from the ditch to put out the fire in the airplane’s engine compartment. Photographs of the airplane at the accident site revealed the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. Holes were visible on the top of the engine crankcase. The wreckage has been retained for further examination.
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 engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,421 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 18, 2025; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 2WA1 Sequim WA at 5:20 pm
- Destination: 55S Packwood WA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am from KNOW, 24 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KNOW 121735Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 14/09 A2991 RMK AO2 T01430090
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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 WPR26LA183.