Event ANC00LA032

Factual narrative

On March 5, 2000, about 1820 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Stinson 108-3 airplane, N6453M, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the pilot-rated passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed from Fairbanks about 1715. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on March 5, 2000, the pilot reported he was landing on runway 1R. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left. He applied right rudder and right brake, but the airplane ran off the left side of the runway and ground looped. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane received damage to the right wing tip, and the right landing gear. The pilot said the wind conditions were from the east about three knots. At 1839, a special weather observation at Fairbanks was reporting, in part: Wind, calm; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, few at 20,000 feet; temperature, 27 degrees F; dew point, 16 degrees F; altimeter, 29.92 inHg. The private certificated pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane toward the north, at the conclusion of a local flight. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and right brake, but the airplane ran off the left side of the runway and ground looped. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane received damage to the right wing tip, and the right landing gear. The pilot said the wind conditions were from the east about three knots. A special weather observation at the airport indicated the wind was calm. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12