SEA98LA175

The pilot stated that 'the approach and landing seemed normal. As the wheels touched the ground, I decided to do a practice go-around and another landing. Full power was applied and the nose pitched up too much and the aircraft settled back down to the runway with a hard landing and skidded to the side of the runway with a propeller strike.' A witness observed that the aircraft was in a landing attitude about three to four feet above the ground, with the power apparently at idle. At that point, he noted, the engine went to full power, then the aircraft pitched up abruptly and appeared to stall. The right wing lowered and the aircraft fell to the ground, went left through the fence and came to rest at the edge of the hill.

On September 5, 1998, approximately 1040 mountain daylight time, a Maule M-7-235C, N1048G, was substantially damaged during a gear collapse while landing at the Stanley airport, Stanley, Idaho. The commercial pilot and his passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and had departed from Smiley Creek airstrip about 1020.

In a telephone interview, the pilot reported that during the approach he attempted to execute a go around maneuver during which the aircraft settled to the runway. The aircraft then drifted left and the left landing gear separated as the aircraft departed the left side of the runway. In a written statement, the pilot stated that "the approach and landing seemed normal. As the wheels touched the ground, I decided to do a practice go-around and another landing. Full power was applied and the nose pitched up too much and the aircraft settled back down to the runway with a hard landing and skidded to the side of the runway with a propeller strike."

A witness, who was employed as chief pilot of a local commercial air taxi business, noted that he watched the landing and accident. He stated that "the aircraft was in a landing attitude about 3 feet to 4 feet above the ground, engine seemed to be at idle; at this point, the engine went to full power, the aircraft pitched up abruptly and appeared to stall. The right wing lowered and the aircraft fell to the ground, went left through the fence and came to rest at the edge of the hill. Attitude at impact level, right wing low."