Maule M-5-210C accident near Verona, New York, August 11, 2013
On August 11, 2013 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Maule M-5-210C, registered N6617R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Verona, New York (Bates Field). 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 delay in applying power after a bounced landing, resulting in collision with terrain during a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2013 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Verona, New York · Bates Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-210C · all M-5-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6617R · no longer on the register · serial 6095C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated after takeoff while en route to the destination airport he elected to fly to a private airstrip (Bates Field) located in rolling farmland. He lined up onto base leg for landing to the northwest on the upslope grass runway, and turned onto final approach. With 40 degrees of flaps extended, he identified the intended touchdown point, flared, and then climbed to attain the intended touchdown point. He landed, “but too hard and bounced up…,” touched down on the runway, and drifted off the runway into 6 to 8 inch high grass. He added power to abort the landing but impacted a knoll at the top of a crest on a hill, then continued climbing. While safely airborne he assessed the condition of the airplane noting the pilot and co-pilot doors were ajar, but did not find any other damage. He flew over the private airstrip and did not observe any damage then elected to proceed to his destination airport, where he landed uneventfully. While taxiing after landing he noticed the left landing gear was out of position. He further stated there was no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction that caused the hard landing. Inspection of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage and distortion to structural tubing in the cockpit, and wrinkles in the fabric adjacent to the left main landing gear.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 555 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 508 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,160 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 27, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-360-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K16 Rome NY at 3:15 pm
- Destination: VGC Hamilton NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 1,520 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from SYR, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.