- Date
- August 9, 1989, 17:30 local (Aug 10, 1989, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nebesna Glacier, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5644WMaule M-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890809028279A
- Case key
- 5238
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 allowed the aircraft to inadvertently touch down, he delayed making a go-around, and he did not maintain sufficient speed to continue the go-around. Contributing factors were: the pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain, high vegetation in the selected landing area, a downdraft, and rough terrain in the dry river bed.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt was on a flt to the Nebesna Glacier area to go hunting. He found what looked like a choice site to land from where he planned to hike. His 1st apch to land was long, so he made a go-around. His 2nd apch was also long, but this time, the acft touched down & the wheels caught some low shrubs, slowing the acft. The plt stated he 'added full power for go-around, struggled into the air with full flaps, and turned toward lower terrain' which was down wind. He said the acft encountered a downdraft & was 'pushed' into a dry river bed. He stated that he made a controlled landing about 1/2 mi from the intended landing area, but the terrain was too rough & the landing gear broke off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5644W
- Reported as
- Maule M-5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7350C
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Crostick, Arthur
- Registered owner
- Arthur E Crositick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ORT · Northway, AK
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,528 total · 80 in this make and model · 2,200 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N5644W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.