- Date
- May 30, 2019, 19:00 local (May 31, 2019, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9833MMaule M4
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190530005429A
- Case key
- 99532
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 during landing, which resulted in the airplane landing with the left wheel off the runway, an impact with trees, and a nose-over.
Findings · 3
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, during landing on a gravel runway, he noticed that the airplane "floated slightly off of the center of the runway to the west." The airplane touched down with the left wheel off the runway in some vegetation, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination revealed that there were alder branches wrapped around the left main landing gear and that the landing gear was locked up. The pilot said he removed the branches, and the landing gear moved "fine." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 090° and light and variable. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 33.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on a gravel runway, he noticed that he "floated slightly off of the center of the runway to the west". He touched down with the left wheel off the runway in some vegetation, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination revealed that there were alder branches wrapped around the left main landing gear and the landing gear locked up. The pilot removed the branches and the landing gear moved "fine." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 090° and light and variable. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 33.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9833M
- Reported as
- Maule M4 (210C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1017C
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 1,767
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-A, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 6, 2019
- Departed
- 95Z · North Pole, AK
- Destination
- 2AK1 · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- 2AK1 · Blair Lake, runway 33, 1,530 × 50 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- None
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Military, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 25, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,130 total · 10 in this make and model · 3,646 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 MB 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.
Other investigations on N9833M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.