Maule M-5-235C accident near Rockvale, Tennessee, June 22, 2003
On June 22, 2003 at about 11:58 pm local time, a Maule M-5-235C, registered N555MR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockvale, Tennessee (Gibson Stolport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2003 · about 11:58 pm local time
- Place
- Rockvale, Tennessee · Gibson Stolport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-235C · all M-5-235Cs on the register
- Registration
- N555MR · no longer on the register · serial 7107C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a witness, the airplane experienced a gradual loss of engine power during a go-around. As the airplane was returning to land after the go-around, other witnesses reported hearing the engine "shut off and then start back up." The witnesses then observed the airplane collide with trees and terrain, and they saw black smoke rising from the wreckage. The airplane came to rest and burned on a westerly heading approximately 0.6 nautical miles from the airstrip. Examination of the accident site revealed that the propeller, engine, cockpit, cabin, empennage, horizontal stabilizers, elevators, rudder, and vertical stabilizer remained intact by their tubular steel frames. Examination of the engine revealed it was damaged on all sides. There was no fuel found in the engine, and the carburetor heat was in the off position. Nothing was found during the course of the investigation that would have precluded the engine from producing power. The reported temperature at an airport located about 30 miles to the north of the accident site was 81-degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point was 57 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the icing probability chart, the reported weather conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice; however, the investigation could not determine whether carburetor icing was present in the engine at the time of the accident. (This report was modified on June 16, 2009)
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J1A5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SYI Shelbyville TN at 11:30 pm
- Destination: TN68 Rockvale TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,500 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KBNA, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.