- Date
- September 2, 1995, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Westcliffe, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N51566Maule M5-210C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950902048949A
- Case key
- 19570
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
Failure by the pilot to maintain directional control of the aircraft during taxi. A factor was lack of experience in make and model aircraft.
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
While taxiing to parking, following landing, the pilot turned short of his route and the aircraft departed the taxiway into a ditch. The pilot had 6 hours total time in this make and model aircraft.
Factual narrative
On September 2, 1995, at 1330 mountain daylight time, a Maule M5-210C, N51566, struck a ditch during taxi at Silver West Airport, West Cliffe, Colorado. The private pilot was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight. No flight plan was filed. The aircraft was taxiing to the ramp following landing when the accident occurred.
According to the pilot he turned too short and went off the taxiway into a ditch. The pilot operator report provided information that the pilot had six hours total time in this make and model of aircraft prior to the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51566
- Reported as
- Maule M5-210C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6019C
- Airframe hours
- 2,174
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-D, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Richard C. Hepworth
- Registered owner
- M5-220c Limited Liability Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1995 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 4C03
- Airport
- 4C03 · Silver West, runway 31, 7,000 × 40 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total · 6 in this make and model · 1,485 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ALS, 40 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.
Other investigations on N51566 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.