Maule M-5-180C N5640S

Summary

On 29 May 2006 at about 12:00 local time, a Maule M-5-180C registered N5640S was involved in an accident near Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 May 2006 at 12:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

41.2333, -75.6167

Aircraft

Maule M-5-180C

Registration

N5640S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stroudsburg → Mount Pocono

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC06CA141

Nobody was injured.

The disconnected tailwheel compression spring, which resulted in a loss of directional control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Maule M-5-180C airplane touched down on the main landing gear, and then the tailwheel touched down shortly thereafter. The pilot then experienced a "very strong pull to the left," and attempted to correct with aileron and rudder. The airplane departed the runway to the left, struck the wing, and came to rest upright. Examination of the tailwheel revealed that the retention clip for the right compression spring was missing, and the spring had disconnected from the swing arm. The retention clip was not recovered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.