VFR into IMC · NTSB CEN11FA247
STINSON 108 — Dickens, TX
| Date | March 27, 2011 |
| Location | Dickens, TX |
| Aircraft | STINSON 108 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Night/Dark · Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Unknown Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 40 |
| Pilot total time | 600 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 200 hrs |
| Fatalities | 3 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Low light-Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Below VFR minima-Decision related to condition
What happened
The airplane impacted terrain in night instrument meteorological conditions. There were no known eyewitnesses who saw the takeoff or accident. The wreckage was located in a pasture area of rolling hills by a local resident, approximately 1.25 miles southeast of the departure airfield. Ground scars and the wreckage path led to the main wreckage, which was oriented on a heading of 100 degrees. The pilot was not instrument rated and it was not determined whether he obtained a weather briefing. Although it is uncertain whether he obtained a weather briefing, the conditions on the night of the accident were obviously instrument conditions with overcast skies at 500 feet. The non-instrument rated pilot exhibited poor decision-making when he elected to fly in those conditions. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.