20120818018309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Maule M-5-210C · Coldfoot, AK · August 18, 2012

Date: August 18, 2012 · 14:00 local
Place: Coldfoot, AK
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N319X
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC12CA089
Reported as: Maule M-5-210C
Reported engine: Continental IO-360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,200 total40 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N319XRegistration cancelled May 13, 2015 · Maule M-5-210CS/N 6146C · Built 1975 Airframe modelMaule M-5-210C Engine modelContinental IO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot and passenger left bettles intending to fly through atigun pass to north slope area. Pilot flew up into pass area with a low cloud deck blocking the pass visibility. Pilot could not turn aircraft around due to narrowness of mountain area. Pilot landed straight ahead alongside Alaska pipeline on service road. Aircraft sustained damage, left gear/wheel ripped off, then left wing outboard damage from ground and engine/prop damage from ground strike.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT AND PASSENGER LEFT BETTLES INTENDING TO FLY THROUGH ATIGUN PASS TO NORTH SLOPE AREA. PILOT FLEW UP INTO PASS AREA WITH A LOW CLOUD DECK BLOCKING THE PASS VISIBILITY. PILOT COULD NOT TURN AIRCRAFT AROUND DUE TO NARROWNESS OF MOUNTAIN AREA. PILOT LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD ALONGSIDE ALASKA PIPELINE ON SERVICE ROAD. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE, LEFT GEAR/WHEEL RIPPED OFF, THEN LEFT WING OUTBOARD DAMAGE FROM GROUND AND ENGINE/PROP DAMAGE FROM GROUND STRIKE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC12CA089Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportColdfoot, AKThe pilot's delayed decision to turn around while flying through a narrow mountain pass, which resulted in a forced landing and impact with terrain.Aug 18, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N319X · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19780604019589ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Homer, AKBeach gravel.Jun 4, 1978 · Destroyed