Maule M-5 235C accident near Moultrie, Georgia, March 18, 2007
On March 18, 2007 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Maule M-5 235C, registered N56537, was substantially damaged in an accident near Moultrie, Georgia (Private Strip 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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2007 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Moultrie, Georgia · Private Strip · 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 · all M-5 235Cs on the register
- Registration
- N56537 · registry record · serial 7467C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot he was on a short flight to a private airstrip. During the approach to landing he announced his position, decreased engine power to idle, and extended full wing flaps. During landing roll out the airplane drifted to the left. The left wing collided with a row of trees and the airplane spun around 90 degrees. The pilot shut off the fuel, all electrical power, and exited the airplane. Examination by an FAA inspector revealed the left wing was buckled. The pilot did not report any mechanical or flight control anomalies prior to the accident.
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: 1,147 hours in all; 633 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,147 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 941 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006; 60.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J1A5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2GA9 Snellville GA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: Private Strip GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 4:05 pm from KMGR, 10 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.