Maule M-4C accident near Lincoln, Maine, August 9, 2012
On August 9, 2012 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Maule M-4C, registered N9838M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lincoln, Maine (Lincoln Regional 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2012 · about 3:20 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Lincoln, Maine · Lincoln Regional · 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-4C · all M-4Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9838M · registry record · serial 2C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern to familiarize himself with the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot attempted to perform a "wheel landing" (touching down on the main landing gear only and gradually allowing the tailwheel to settle to the ground), and the airplane veered to the left during the landing roll. The pilot attempted to correct with aileron and rudder inputs; however, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, substantially damaging both wings and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane, and stated that he had no prior flight experience in the accident airplane make and model.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 317 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 10 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 15, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LRG Lincoln ME at 3:10 pm
- Destination: LRG Lincoln ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,804 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from MLT, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on December 27, 2012. 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 | Pilot Statement to FAA | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Second Pilot Statement to FAA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1 (Courtesy of FAA) - Airplane as It Came to Rest | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2 (Courtesy of FAA) - Damage to Vertical Stabilizer | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 2 pages | 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
- N9838M 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 SER 6,625 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lincoln Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Maine 532 since 1982 · 70 in the last ten years
- Maine 1,427 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12CA502.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.