Maule M-5-210C accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, August 29, 2005
On August 29, 2005, a Maule M-5-210C, registered N51623, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent collapse of the main landing gear. Factors associated with the accident were a crosswind, and a steep drop-off.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2005
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-210C · all M-5-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N51623 · no longer on the register · serial 6041C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was landing on a ridgeline which required a correction for a right crosswind. He stated that during the landing roll a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and he applied full right aileron in conjunction with heavy braking. He said that the wind subsequently pushed the airplane to the left, down a steep slope on the north side of the site, and both main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained structural damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 1,275 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,944.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005; 53.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-DB33D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.