Maule M-5-210C N319X

Summary

On 18 August 2012 at about 22:30 local time, a Maule M-5-210C registered N319X was involved in an accident near Coldfoot, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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

18 August 2012 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Coldfoot, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

68.1328, -149.4792

Aircraft

Maule M-5-210C

Registration

N319X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bettles → Galbraith Lake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC12CA089

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's delayed decision to turn around while flying through a narrow mountain pass, which resulted in a forced landing and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was attempting to fly through a narrow mountain pass when he realized that the clouds were obscuring the top of the pass. He decided that the pass was too narrow to turn around, so he elected to land the airplane on a gravel access road. During the landing roll, the airplane hit a ditch, veered to the left, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.