# NTSB DEN01LA104: Maule M-5-235C, N9181E, West Jordan, UT, May 25, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 25, 2001, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC) - Place: West Jordan, UT - Location: 40.6097° N, 111.9391° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of West Jordan, UT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6097&lon=-111.9391&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 19, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 52359 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN01LA104 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52359/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01LA104 ## Probable cause the pilot inadvertently flaring the airplane too high above the ground, resulting in a hard landing that sheared a bolt in the tail wheel assembly. This rendered directional control impossible and induced an uncontrolled ground loop. A contributing factor was the crosswind. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - flare - high, pilot in command (cause) - landing gear,tailwheel assembly - sheared (cause) - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - directional control - not possible (contributing factor) - ground loop/swerve - uncontrolled - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis The pilot noted the wind sock indicated the wind was about 20 degrees left of runway centerline. After making a normal crosswind landing, the airplane nosed to the right and he made a correction. When the airplane assumed a three point attitude, it veered to the left. He corrected with right rudder "without letting the wind under left wing" but it had no effect and the airplane departed the runway and nosed over. The pilot said the bolt securing the tail wheel leaf spring had sheared and the tail wheel was driven up against the rudder. A search of the area failed to locate the nut or the bolt end. He said the break was an "extrusion and clean downward shear," but an FAA inspector who examined the airplane stated the damage was consistent with that of a hard landing. Official recorded winds were 320 degrees at 7 knots, with gusts to 14 knots. ## Factual narrative On May 25, 2001, approximately 1545 mountain daylight time, a Maule M-5-235C, N9181E, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing at Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airport, West Jordan, Utah. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and a VFR flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Nampa, Idaho, at an undetermined time. According to the pilot's accident report, he monitored the Salt Lake City Municipal 2 AWOS (Automated Weather Observing Station) and planned on a "standard crosswind landing" on runway 34 since the wind sock indicated the wind was about 20 degrees left of runway centerline. After making a normal crosswind landing, the airplane nosed to the right and he made a correction. When the airplane assumed a three point attitude, it veered to the left. He corrected with right rudder "without letting the wind under left wing" but it had no effect. As the airplane departed the left side of the runway, the right main gear collapsed and the wheel contacted and bent the wing drag brace. The right wing tip also struck the runway and the airplane nosed over. The pilot said that his examination of the airplane revealed that the bolt securing the tail wheel leaf spring had sheared and the tail wheel was driven up against the rudder. A search of the area failed to locate the nut or the distal end of the bolt. His examination of the bolt indicated "extrusion and clean downward shear." An FAA inspector who examined the airplane stated the damage was consistent with that of a hard landing. Winds recorded at Salt Lake City International Airport, located 13 miles north of Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airport, were from 320 degrees at 7 knots, with gusts to 14 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9181E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9181E), registered now, S/N 7132C, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Maule M-5-235C - Registry model: [Maule M-5-235C](https://openairdocs.org/model/maule-m-5-235c) (registry code 5460135) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 7132C - Airframe hours: 1355 - Engines: Lycoming O-540-J1A5D 235 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Thomas G. Donnelly - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 29, 2000, 44 hours before - Departed: S67, NAMPA, ID - Destination: U42, West Jordan, UT - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: U42, Salt Lake City Muni 2, runway 34, 5,860 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 425 total, 12 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 7 knots, gusting 14 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: SLC, 14 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010525010199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010525010199A), May 25, 2001: Maule M5235C, Salt Lake City, UT, No damage. (-23)N9181E enroute from nampa, id (S67) to slc muni (U42) on a VFR flight plan. On landing the aircraft landed hard and transitioned into a ground loop. The… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.