- Date
- September 17, 2019, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N88DKMaule M 6-235
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190917017109A
- Case key
- 100279
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in the airplane hitting a rut, bouncing, and then nosing over.
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 reported that, while landing on an off-airport gravel bar in a river, the airplane veered right, hit a rut, and then bounced. The pilot applied the brakes, and the airplane subsequently nosed over and then came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift struts and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, while landing off-airport on a gravel river bar, the airplane veered right, hit a rut and bounced. The pilot applied the brakes and the airplane subsequently nosed over coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift struts and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88DK
- Reported as
- Maule M 6-235 (235C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7088C
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 1,953.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1C5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 13, 2019
- Departed
- BCV · Birchwood, AK
- 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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 9, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,050 in this make and model · 300 in the last 90 days · 175 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 24 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 5, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 811 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.