Maule M-4 accident near Springfield, Minnesota, July 10, 2012
On July 10, 2012 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Maule M-4, registered N12026, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Springfield, Minnesota (Springfield Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The tailwheel spring's overload failure during landing, resulting in a ground loop and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2012 · about 8:45 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Springfield, Minnesota · Springfield Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-4 · all M-4s on the register
- Registration
- N12026 · registry record · serial 38
- 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 the accident landing proceeded normally until he moved the control yoke from full forward to full aft, and the airplane’s tail moved abruptly to the left. The pilot's application of full left rudder and power did not stop the movement, and the airplane entered a ground loop to the right and departed the runway. Examination of the airplane found that the tailwheel spring failed during landing. The observed spring separation was consistent with overload.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure other cases naming the landing gear
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 458 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 421 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 22, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 32,620 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 32,000 as pilot in command; 6,700 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 12, 2011
- Medical certificate: None (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,181 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2012; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ULM New Ulm MN at 7:10 pm
- Destination: ULM New Ulm MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from RWF, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 7, 2013. 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 | Miscellaneous - Communications Summary | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N12026 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Maule M-4 207 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Maule 1,345 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300-A 15 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Springfield Municipal · nearest airport
- New Ulm Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Minnesota 1,544 since 1982 · 209 in the last ten years
- Minnesota 6,958 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA492.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.