What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 11, 2010 at approximately 1350 hours (local) near the address of 2998 highway 19 north, Emory, Texas 75440, the pilot (certificate #2222675) of the Maule M-5-180C aircraft (N244RC) attempted to land on a grass airstrip during variably gusty crosswinds, lost control of the aircraft and crashed. During the landing attempt, a witness stated the aircraft bounced twice, wobbled, and pitched up sharply with power applied. The pilot lost control of the aircraft during the climb out, stalling it approximately 100 feet above the ground. The aircraft entered a left bank spin, descended, and the left wing struck a tree before the aircraft crashed nose first into the ground in a near vertical attitude. The aircraft burned during a post-crash fire and fell into its final resting position on its back, nose pointing at a 320° heading approximately 500 feet from the centerline of the airstrip. The pilot was the only occupant of the aircraft and suffered fatal injuries. The pilot's total flight hours and total flight hours in the airframe could not be determined due to the records being destroyed in the aircraft fire. The aircraft's total time could not be determined due to aircraft records and maintenance logs being destroyed in the aircraft fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 11, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 1350 HOURS (LOCAL) NEAR THE ADDRESS OF 2998 HIGHWAY 19 NORTH, EMORY, TEXAS 75440, THE PILOT (CERTIFICATE #2222675) OF THE MAULE M-5-180C AIRCRAFT (N244RC) ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A GRASS AIRSTRIP DURING VARIABLY GUSTY CROSSWINDS, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CRASHED. DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT, A WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED TWICE, WOBBLED, AND PITCHED UP SHARPLY WITH POWER APPLIED. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE CLIMB OUT, STALLING IT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A LEFT BANK SPIN, DESCENDED, AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED NOSE FIRST INTO THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT BURNED DURING A POST-CRASH FIRE AND FELL INTO ITS FINAL RESTING POSITION ON ITS BACK, NOSE POINTING AT A 320° HEADING APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET FROM THE CENTERLINE OF THE AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. THE PILOT'S TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS AND TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS IN THE AIRFRAME COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO THE RECORDS BEING DESTROYED IN THE AIRCRAFT FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT'S TOTAL TIME COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO AIRCRAFT RECORDS AND MAINTENANCE LOGS BEING DESTROYED IN THE AIRCRAFT FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.