| Crash location | 41.626389°N, 77.420556°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Meadville, PA
41.641444°N, 80.151448°W 141.0 miles away |
| Tail number | N97541 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 11 Aug 2006 |
| Aircraft type | Stinson 108 |
| Additional details: | None |
During the landing roll, the Stinson 108 began a left turn. The pilot applied opposite rudder to counter the turn, but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the runway, struck a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the tailwheel spring clips had disconnected from the tailwheel springs, and were stretched and distorted. About 2 weeks before the accident, the owner of the airplane installed a new tailwheel and elected not install the tailwheel spring clips provided with the kit, but instead to use the clips that were already on the airplane. The owner was not a certificated mechanic, nor did he consult with a mechanic during the installation process.
The owner's failure to install the proper tailwheel spring clips, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll. A factor was his lack of a mechanic certificate.