- Date
- October 1, 1994, 12:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Billings, MT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N664GMaule M-5-235C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 31, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941001032449A
- Case key
- 42073
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
Inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors to the accident were: crosswind and inadequate remedial action.
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 stated that during the landing roll in crosswind conditions, the left wing raised and as he was correcting with left rudder control, his toe slipped and he applied the left brake. The airplane began to veer to the left and the pilot applied right rudder control; however, as the airspeed decreased, the pilot lost directional control and the airplane ground looped to the left. The right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing contacted the ground. No evidence was found to indicate a mechanical failure or malfunction.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 1994, at 1240 hours mountain daylight time (mdt), a Maule M-5-235C, N664G, registered to and being flown by William P. Rust, a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when the airplane ground looped, and the right main landing gear collapsed during the landing roll at the Billings-Logan International Airport, Billings, Montana. The pilot and his two passengers were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal in nature, was to have been operated in accordance with 14CFR91, and originated from Helena, Montana, approximately 1100 hours.
The pilot reported that he was cleared to land on runway 28R, and was advised by the tower controller that the winds were from 190 degrees at nine knots. After touch down, the pilot stated that he was maintaining directional control, on the runway centerline, with full aileron deflection into the wind. A gust of wind from the left lifted the left wing and the pilot stated that as he was correcting with rudder control, his toe slipped and he applied the left brake. The airplane began to drift to the left and the pilot applied full right rudder control, however, the pilot stated that as the airspeed decreased, he lost directional control and the airplane ground looped to the left. The right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing contacted the ground.
Post crash inspection of the brakes did not reveal evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N664G
- Reported as
- Maule M-5-235C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7502C
- Airframe hours
- 1,096
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rust, William, P.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 2, 1993 · 143 hours before
- Departed
- HLN · Helena, MT
- Destination
- BIL
- Airport
- BIL · Billings Logan Intl, runway 28R, 10,528 × 150 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 408 total · 35 in this make and model · 346 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.