Maule M-5-210C accident near Kusatan, Alaska, July 5, 2023
On July 5, 2023, a 1974 Maule M-5-210C, registered N51592, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kusatan, Alaska (Mcarthur River Gravel Bar 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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a bounced landing and an encounter with soft terrain, and a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2023
- Place
- Kusatan, Alaska · Mcarthur River Gravel Bar · 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 1974 · all M-5-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N51592 · registry record · serial 6023C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing roll out on a remote, gravel/sand bar, the main landing gear wheels encountered an area of uneven sand and the airplane bounced and pitched into the air. She attempted to correct to no avail. Subsequently, when the airplane touched down from the bounce, the wheels dug into the sand, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the wing struts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,050 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,800 as pilot in command; 550 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 4, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,640 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 2023; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360 D33A (piston); 2,675 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EDF Anchorage AK at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway N/A, 1,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from PASX, 46 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PASX 042356Z AUTO 26009KT 10SM SCT095 12/07 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP252 T01170067 10150 20117 53010
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 October 26, 2023. 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 | Investigative Photograph | PDF, 1 page | 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.