Maule M4-210C accident near Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, August 20, 2005
On August 20, 2005 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Maule M4-210C, registered N40624, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ocracoke Island, North Carolina (Ocracoke Island 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 inadequate compensation for winds and his failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing, which resulted in an on-ground collision with trees. A factor was the crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2005 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ocracoke Island, North Carolina · Ocracoke Island · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M4-210C · all M4-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N40624 · no longer on the register · serial 2145C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting to make a crosswind land on runway 06 at Ocracoke Island Airport. The airplane touchdown on the right main landing gear first, veered off the left side of the runway and collided with small trees. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the right main landing gear, propeller, and fuselage. No weather reporting facility is located on the field. Winds were estimated at 25 to 30 knots out of the west. Post-accident examination of the flight control surfaces revealed no mechanical failures. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane during flight.
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
- Flight time: 230 hours in all; 170 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AFP Wadeboro NC at 4:00 pm
- Destination: W95 Ocracoke Island NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 2,999 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from HSE, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.