Maule M 5-235C accident near Roxbury, Kansas, April 24, 2018
On April 24, 2018 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1977 Maule M 5-235C, registered N9281E, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Roxbury, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff from a road, which resulted in impact with a sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2018 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Roxbury, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M 5-235C, built 1977 · all M 5-235Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9281E · registry record · serial 7155C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot had landed to check on a field for his cattle and was subsequently departing from a road in his tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that, as the tailwheel lifted off, the airplane turned to the left. The pilot said that he was slow to respond with rudder input and that his rudder application was inadequate. The airplane traveled left a few feet and the left wingtip hit a highway sign as the airplane became airborne. The pilot continued the takeoff over a tower and its guy wires, but, because he was aware of the structural damage to the airplane, he performed a precautionary landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted trees. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 479.8 hours in all; 102.5 in this make and model; 459 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 16, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,062 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J1A5D (piston); 1,140 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Roxbury KS at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MPR Mc Pherson KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 21 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KSLN, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on June 20, 2018. 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 |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N9281E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.