Maule M-4-210C accident near Staunton, Virginia, September 18, 1993
On September 18, 1993 at about 6:02 pm local time, a Maule M-4-210C, registered N2026U, was destroyed in an accident near Staunton, Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN INADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE EMBANKMENT DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE A TAILWIND ON TAKEOFF AND RISING TERRAIN AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE GRASS AIRSTRIP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 1993 · about 6:02 pm local time
- Place
- Staunton, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-4-210C · all M-4-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2026U · no longer on the register · serial 1075C
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF AN AIRPLANE INVOLVED IN A GLIDER TOW OPERATION WAS ATTEMPTING TO TOW A GLIDER OUT OF A FIELD WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT ALONG THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND NOSED OVER. THE GLIDER PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED EARLIER FROM ANOTHER FIELD, AND DUE TO A DESCENDING TURN MADE BY THE TOW AIRPLANE TO AVOID SOME CLOUDS, HE DISCONNECTED HIS GLIDER AND LANDED SAFELY IN A FIELD. THE PILOT OF THE TOW AIRPLANE RADIOED THE GLIDER PILOT AND TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD RETURN TO THE FIELD TO TOW THE GLIDER OUT OF THE FIELD. THE TOW AIRPLANE PILOT OVERFLEW THE FIELD AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY. ACCORDING TO THE GLIDER PILOT, BOTH PILOTS WALKED THE FIELD TO MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER THERE WAS ENOUGH TAKEOFF DISTANCE FOR TOWING. THE GLIDER PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS A TAILWIND, BUT IT WAS AGREED UPON BY BOTH PILOTS THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH TAKEOFF DISTANCE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
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: 1,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,586 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 1993; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: W13 Waynesboro VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from SHD, 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.