- Date
- October 15, 1989, 08:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4550RMaule M-4-220C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891015045749A
- Case key
- 17861
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 failed to correct a ground loop/swerve during landing roll. A strong crosswind was a contributing factor.
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.
Loss of control - on ground/water
Weather condition - crosswindFactor
Directional control - not maintainedCause
Ground loop/swerve - inadvertentCause
Nose over
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4550R
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-220C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2017C
- Engine
- Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward A. Mariska
- Departed
- 2V6 · Yuma, CO
- Airport
- STK · Crosson Field, runway 33, 4,700 × 75 ft, concrete
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 2,950 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- -0 °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 N4550R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.