Overview

• On June 3 a Universal Stinson 108 crashed into a wooded area just beyond Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, North Carolina, after the pilot lifted the right main wheel to avoid a turtle, killing two people and seriously injuring one.
• A preliminary NTSB report released June 18 details how the aircraft landed about 1,400 feet down the 2,424-foot runway, lifted its right wheel on warning of a turtle, advanced throttle and then disappeared from view before impact.
• Rescuers found the plane wedged between trees and largely intact except for burned fabric, and the aircraft’s frame and engine have been retained for detailed examination.
• The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are jointly investigating the incident to determine probable cause and safety recommendations.
• Wildlife encounters account for just 46 U.S. crashes from 2012 to 2021 with no prior fatalities, underscoring the rarity of this turtle-related accident.