- Date
- May 27, 2018, 18:30 local (May 28, 2018, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ID
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5634YMaule M5
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180527006009A
- Case key
- 97365
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 failure to maintain the runway centerline and his subsequent decision to not perform a go-around, which resulted in the main landing gear contacting tall wheat and a subsequent loss of control.
Findings · 4
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 aligned with the right edge of the 80-ft-wide private, grass airstrip during short final. The pilot slipped the airplane to the left, but the right main landing gear contacted the tall wheat field that bordered the runway, and the airplane began to veer right. He added that the airplane continued to the right and subsequently nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot indicated that he should have initiated an immediate go-around procedure once he realized the approach was not normal.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was aligned with the right edge of the 80 ft. wide private, grass airstrip during short final. The pilot slipped the airplane to the left, but the right main landing gear contacted the tall wheat field that bordered the runway, and the airplane began to veer right. He added that the airplane continued to the right, and subsequently nosed over. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added in the NTSB Form 6120.1 section titled "Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation" that he should have initiated an immediate go around procedure once he realized the approach was not normal.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5634Y
- Reported as
- Maule M5 (235C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7290C
- Built
- 1979
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J1A5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 17, 2017 · 749 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Lewiston, ID
- Destination
- PVT · Lewiston, ID
- Airport
- PVT · Pvt, runway W, 2,000 × 80 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 78
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 700 in this make and model · 1,975 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3.5 in the last 30 days · 0.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KLWS, 4 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 572 KB 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.