Maule M-6-235 accident near Big Lake, Alaska, May 19, 2013
On May 19, 2013 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Maule M-6-235, registered N56464, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Big Lake, Alaska (Goose Bay airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s execution of a hard landing, which resulted in the overstress fracture of the right main axle housing and the subsequent nosedown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2013 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Big Lake, Alaska · Goose Bay · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-6-235 · all M-6-235s on the register
- Registration
- N56464 · no longer on the register · serial 7416C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing stop-and-go landings on the gravel-covered runway. Upon touchdown, the right main gear separated at the axle housing, which pivoted the airplane to the right as the main landing gear leg dug into the runway. The airplane subsequently nosed down and came to rest on the propeller spinner and left wing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and lift struts. A postaccident examination revealed that the right main landing gear axle separated at the axle housing and main landing gear leg attachment point. Visual and magnified optical examinations of the fractured surfaces revealed features consistent with a bending overstress fracture, indicating that the pilot most likely executed a hard landing, which resulted in the fracture of the right main axle housing and the subsequent nosedown.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,100 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2013
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAED Anchorage AK at 11:30 am
- Destination: PAED Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 08, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.46 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from PAMR, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC13LA049.