Maule MT-7-260 accident near Decatur, Indiana, September 14, 2005
On September 14, 2005, a Maule MT-7-260, registered N42619, was substantially damaged in an accident near Decatur, Indiana (Gage Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to land on a runway with a tailwind, the improper recovery from a bounced landing, and the loss of control during landing roll. Factors included the tailwind and the post.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2005
- Place
- Decatur, Indiana · Gage Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MT-7-260 · all MT-7-260s on the register
- Registration
- N42619 · no longer on the register · serial 27007C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it veered off the left side of runway 36. The pilot reported that he landed to the north and that the wind was from the southwest at 5 to 10 knots. He reported, "I bounced the aircraft on landing. This unsettled the aircraft and I lost control." The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and hit a post.
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: 433 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-V4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LYH Lynchburg VA at 9:45 pm
- Destination: 13IN Decatur IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.