Maule M 5-235C accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, September 8, 2014
On September 8, 2014 at about 7:23 pm local time, a 1979 Maule M 5-235C, registered N56332, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Talkeetna, 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 excessive taxi speed, which resulted in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2014 · about 7:23 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M 5-235C 235C, built 1979 · all M 5-235Cs on the register
- Registration
- N56332 · registry record · serial 7253C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane up-slope, on a vegetation covered unimproved runway. He reported that he had landed at the same location four days prior without incident. While back taxiing on the downhill portion of the runway the airplane began to accelerate. The pilot applied the main wheel brakes in an effort to slow the airplane, but it continued into a soft muddy section, and it subsequently nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and left wing lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been avoided if he had taxied at a slower speed, or if he had been more cautious of the changing runway conditions.
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
- Loss of control on ground during taxi defining event
- Nose over/nose down during taxi
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,065 hours in all; 455 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2,042 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,335 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,531 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J1A5D (piston); 7,770 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AK43 Wasilla AK
- Destination: Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on November 24, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.