Maule M-5-235C accident near Bloomington, Indiana, September 14, 1985
On September 14, 1985 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Maule M-5-235C, registered N56349, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomington, Indiana (Monroe CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 1985 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Indiana · Monroe CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-235C · all M-5-235Cs on the register
- Registration
- N56349 · no longer on the register · serial 7286-C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOTED LANDED WITH AN 80' LEFT CROSSWIND AT 8 KNOTS. DURING LANDING ROLL THE WIND PICKED UP THE LEFT WING. THE ACFT WEATHERVANED INTO THE WIND & THE RIGHT GEAR COLLAPSED. THE RIGHT WING WAS ALSO DAMAGED DURING THE SWERVE.
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: 293 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 257 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 530 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Palmyra IN at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,201 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 18,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from BMG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N56349 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.