Maule M-5-220C N16CB

Summary

On 6 June 1998 at about 17:00 local time, a Maule M-5-220C registered N16CB was involved in an accident near Kettle Falls, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 1998 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kettle Falls, Washington, United States

Coordinates

48.7195, -117.9591

Aircraft

Maule M-5-220C

Registration

N16CB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA98FA090

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance. A factor was an attempt to perform aerobatics at low altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses described the airplane performing maneuvers that were described as aerobatic prior to impact about 35 degrees nose down, and provided a photograph taken shortly before the accident of the airplane in an inverted attitude. This airplane is not approved for aerobatic maneuvers. The fuselage, engine and propeller, and one wing were recovered from 90 feet of water for inspection by FAA inspectors. Records indicated that this airplane had recently had structural repairs to the steel tubing structure. Those areas, as well as the rest of the structure and wing and wing-strut attachment points were inspected by FAA inspectors and an NTSB investigator. No evidence was found of pre-impact structural failure of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.