Maule M-7-235C accident near Truth Or Conseq, New Mexico, November 5, 2003
On November 5, 2003, a Maule M-7-235C, registered N246SV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Truth Or Conseq, New Mexico (Truth Or Consequences Municipa 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 pilot's inadequate flare and his failure to maintain directional control. A contributing factor was the night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2003
- Place
- Truth Or Conseq, New Mexico · Truth Or Consequences Municipa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-7-235C · all M-7-235Cs on the register
- Registration
- N246SV · registry record · serial 2297
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that prior to the night landing, he received weather reports from the automated surface observation system (ASOS) that reported winds from 280 degrees and 250 degrees at 5 knots. He set up for a landing on runway 31 and used full flaps (40 degrees). The pilot said he held the airplane in a slight left crab to compensate for the crosswind. The pilot stated that he leveled off "a little high" and "lost [sight of] the runway" during the landing flare. As the airplane landed, it swerved to the left side of the runway. He added power for a go-around and was briefly airborne but he said he became disoriented because of the "dark mountain ahead." When he aborted the attempted go-around, the airplane departed the right side of the runway, and ground-looped. The ground-loop buckled the left wing, collapsed the left main landing gear, and separated the tail wheel.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 21,471 hours in all; 98 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 15,324 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 18, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 119.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 2003; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEX Telluride CO at 10:30 pm
- Destination: TCS Truth Or Conseq NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,599 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KTCS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N246SV 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.