- Date
- January 1, 2026, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Jay Em, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N56500Maule M-5-235C
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260101000609A
- Case key
- 202254
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 loss of directional control and subsequent nose over due to the inadvertent engagement of the right wheel parking brake as a result of cabin floor carpeting migrating between the right brake master cylinder and parking brake locking lever.
Findings · 2
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 was conducting a personal flight and elected to land on a grass strip located on a friend’s property. Prior to landing, the pilot performed several low passes to assess the landing area. The pilot stated that the approach and touchdown were normal. During the landing rollt, as he applied brakes, the airplane abruptly yawed right and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, lift struts, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. Postaccident examination of the airplane by the pilot and a mechanic revealed that the right wheel was locked, while the left wheel rotated freely. Further examination by the mechanic revealed that cabin floor carpet had migrated upward and was lodged between the right brake master cylinder and the parking brake locking lever, which resulted in the right wheel parking brake being engaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56500
- Reported as
- Maule M-5-235C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7371C
- Built
- 1983
- Airframe hours
- 1,380
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J1A5D, 240 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 30, 2025 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- NA · Lance Creek, WY
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 12, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 892 total · 130 in this make and model · 892 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.