- Date
- July 7, 2021, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N349XMaule M-5-210C
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20210707012749I
- Case key
- 103469
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 impact with a log while dragging an off-airport landing site.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was practicing dragging an off-airport landing site when he impacted a log during the go-around. After evaluating the damage, he elected to return to the departure airport and conducted an emergency landing which resulted in a ground loop and nose-down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N349X
- Reported as
- Maule M-5-210C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6161C
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 1,409.18
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-D33A, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Christopher Coplin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 17, 2020
- Departed
- Willow, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- LHD · Lake Hood, runway 14/32, 2,200 × 75 ft, dirt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 28, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 131 total · 19 in this make and model · 69 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- PALH, 1 nm away
- METAR
- PALH 072153Z 00000KT 9SM BKN035 14/07 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP108 T01440072
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB 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 N349X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.