Maule M-5-210C accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 7, 2021
On July 7, 2021 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1976 Maule M-5-210C, registered N349X, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s impact with a log while dragging an off-airport landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2021 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood · 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, built 1976 · all M-5-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N349X · registry record · serial 6161C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was practicing dragging an off-airport landing site when he impacted a log during the go-around. After evaluating the damage, he elected to return to the departure airport and conducted an emergency landing which resulted in a ground loop and nose-down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 131 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 69 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 28, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,409.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 2020
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-D33A (piston); 1,409 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Willow AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14/3, 2,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from PALH, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PALH 072153Z 00000KT 9SM BKN035 14/07 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP108 T01440072
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 12, 2021. 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 |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N349X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.