Maule M-5-210C accident near Coldfoot, Alaska, August 18, 2012
On August 18, 2012 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Maule M-5-210C, registered N319X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Coldfoot, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2012 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coldfoot, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-210C · all M-5-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N319X · no longer on the register · serial 6146C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
What happened, in order
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of geographic area › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Obscuration › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,250 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 21, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PABT Bettles AK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: PAGB Galbraith Lake AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.