- Date
- May 5, 2013, 19:30 local (May 6, 2013, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Juneau, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N378XMaule M-5-210C
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130505008799A
- Case key
- 86819
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a ground loop.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot departed from a dry, paved runway in a tailwheel-equipped airplane; the takeoff required a correction for a 5-knot, right crosswind. The pilot said that during the takeoff roll, the airplane veered to the left, and he applied right rudder to correct the veer, but the airplane subsequently ground looped to the left. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer and fuselage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot was departing from a dry, paved runway in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, which required a correction for a 5 knot, right crosswind. The pilot said that during the takeoff roll the airplane began to veer to the left, and he applied right rudder to correct the veer, but the airplane subsequently ground-looped to the left. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer and fuselage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. The pilot elected not to complete and submit an NTSB form 6120.1 as requested.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N378X
- Reported as
- Maule M-5-210C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6178C
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-360 SER, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pending
- Registered owner
- Pending
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PAJN · Juneau, AK
- Destination
- PAJN · Juneau, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- PAJN · Juneau International, runway 26, 8,457 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 80 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- PAJN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 19, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 140 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N378X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.