- Date
- September 10, 2006, 18:30 local (Sep 11, 2006, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lewistown, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N786STMaule M-4-180V
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060910019139A
- Case key
- 64508
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 airplane inadvertently impacted a coyote hole during the landing roll on unsuitable terrain.
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
The pilot said that he taxied the full length of the runway before takeoff, but did not notice the coyote hole. Upon landing, he said he hit something "hard" immediately after touchdown. The pilot performed a go-around, landed, and taxied to the hangar uneventfully. Post impact inspection revealed wrinkled skin under the left door. After removing the seats, it was determined that the carry-thru structure was bent.
Factual narrative
On September 10, 2006, at approximately 1830 mountain daylight time, a Maule M-4-180V, N786ST, was substantially damaged during a landing attempt at the Spear T Ranch airstrip (private; elevation 4,340feet), Lewistown, Montana. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight which originated approximately 35 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.
The pilot said that he taxied the full length of the runway before takeoff, but did not notice the coyote hole. Upon landing, he said he hit something "hard" immediately after touchdown. The pilot performed a go-around, landed, and taxied to the hangar uneventfully. Post impact inspection revealed wrinkled skin under the left door. After removing the seats, it was determined that the carry-thru structure was bent. The pilot said that he had mowed the field two days prior to the accident, and the hole was not there.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N786ST
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-180V
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47003T
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Peter D. Mickelsen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE · Lewistown, MT
- Destination
- NONE · Lewistown, MT
- Airport
- NONE · Spear T Ranch, runway 260, grass/turf
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 704 total · 60 in this make and model · 35 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- LWT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.