Maule M-6-235 N56517

Summary

On 13 February 2021 at about 22:00 local time, a Maule M-6-235 registered N56517, operated by Paul Andrews, was involved in an accident near Tyonek, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 February 2021 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tyonek, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.3364, -152.0164

Aircraft

Maule M-6-235

Registration

N56517

Category

Airplane

Year built

1983

Engines

1

Operator

Paul Andrews

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Birchwood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA017

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in the airplane encountering deep snow and coming to rest inverted.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot initially reported that before landing on a snow-covered glacier, he intended to fly a low pass over the snow-covered site and briefly touchdown to determine the condition of the snowpack, a maneuver commonly known as dragging the landing site. He said that during a second downhill pass over the site, he inadvertently allowed the tailwheel-ski equipped airplane to slow while attempting to “set the track more fully”. He added that, he mis-judged the snow depth and allowed the airplane to slow too much. Subsequently, the ski tips dug into the snow and the airplane came to rest inverted.   The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, the wings, and the empennage. The pilot initially reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot later reported that he believed the brake calipers had obstructed the movement of the skis. Two witness marks were observed on the skis that indicated the brake calipers had impacted the skis. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector (airworthiness) examined the airplane and stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions found with the airplane. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the damage to the skis from the brake calipers were from impact damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.