What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) According to the pilot's accident report, he departed a grass airstrip (3,000 feet x 300 feet, dirt) en route to el paso, Texas. He climbed to 200 feet, maneuvered to the left side of a valley, then made a climbing right turn to head south and through the valley. He encountered 'a hard crosswind from the left,' and he 'turned into the downwind side of this crosswind.' The airplane lost altitude and 'barely' struck the ground. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid 80 feet before colliding with a log-loading machine. The computed density altitude at deming, new Mexico (elevation 4,312 feet MSL), located 44 miles southeast of the accident site, was 7,349 feet MSL. The pilot said the elevation of the accident site was 6,200 feet MSL. The approximate density altitude at the accident site was computed to be 9,628 feet MSL. (-23) on September 13, 1998, at 1700 MDT, N9218E, a Maule M5-235C, owned by Mr. Omar c. fulton, privacy data omitted impacted the ground following departure from a private grass strip in Mimbres, NM during a pleasure flight. VMC conditions prevailed and no flight plan was fil ed. The aircraft recieved substantial damage and the private pilot was seriously injured. The flight originated at the private strip on 09/13/98 at approximately 1655 MDT.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S ACCIDENT REPORT, HE DEPARTED A GRASS AIRSTRIP (3,000 FEET X 300 FEET, DIRT) EN ROUTE TO EL PASO, TEXAS. HE CLIMBED TO 200 FEET, MANEUVERED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF A VALLEY, THEN MADE A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN TO HEAD SOUTH AND THROUGH THE VALLEY. HE ENCOUNTERED 'A HARD CROSSWIND FROM THE LEFT,' AND HE 'TURNED INTO THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF THIS CROSSWIND.' THE AIRPLANE LOST ALTITUDE AND 'BARELY' STRUCK THE GROUND. THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE SLID 80 FEET BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A LOG-LOADING MACHINE. THE COMPUTED DENSITY ALTITUDE AT DEMING, NEW MEXICO (ELEVATION 4,312 FEET MSL), LOCATED 44 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WAS 7,349 FEET MSL. THE PILOT SAID THE ELEVATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 6,200 FEET MSL. THE APPROXIMATE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS COMPUTED TO BE 9,628 FEET MSL. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1998, AT 1700 MDT, N9218E, A MAULE M5-235C, OWNED BY MR. OMAR C. FULTON, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMPACTED THE GROUND FOLLOWING DEPARTURE FROM A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP IN MIMBRES, NM DURING A PLEASURE FLIGHT. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FIL ED. THE AIRCRAFT RECIEVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE PRIVATE STRIP ON 09/13/98 AT APPROXIMATELY 1655 MDT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.