Pilot Debrief

MAULE M-5-235C near Oljato, UT — 2008-05-09

Final reportLAX08LA135
Sign in to save
Date
2008-05-09
Location
Oljato, UT, USA
Airport
NONE
Aircraft
MAULE M-5-235C
Registration
N9030E
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to achieve a normal touchdown location and loss of directional control during landing roll out. Contributing to the accident were the runway's soft surface and short length.

NTSB narrative

The pilot overflew the 1,190-foot-long dirt airstrip and it appeared safe for landing. The wind was light and variable as he made a stabilized approach. The airplane touched down long, bounced, and was firmly on the ground by midfield. When the pilot applied brakes in the sand runway, the wheels locked, the airplane skidded, and the pilot lost directional control. Approaching the runway's end, the airplane veered off its left side, went down an incline and nosed down. The pilot had relied upon a non-government publication in his preflight planning that appeared to indicate the airstrip was open for public use. The Federal Aviation Administration's aeronautical chart, while not depicting the (uncharted) airstrip's location, did show that the area was within the boundary of National Park Service-administered land, and that landing without authorization was prohibited.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

Related mishaps