Maule M5 accident near Roxbury, Kansas, March 2, 2017
On March 2, 2017 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 1984 Maule M5, registered N56552, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Roxbury, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2017 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Roxbury, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M5 180C, built 1984 · all M5s on the register
- Registration
- N56552 · no longer on the register · serial 8080C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while landing on a road in gusting crosswind conditions, the right wing lifted to about a 60° angle. He immediately initiated a go-around and added full power and right aileron and lowered the nose. The airplane had drifted off the center of the road to the left heading toward power lines, and the pilot chose to go under them. After the airplane cleared the power lines, the left wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane cart-wheeled. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 in flight during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery
- Abrupt maneuver
- Low altitude operation/event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other
- Roll over
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 367 hours in all; 153 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 326 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 9, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,115.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 19, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-CIF (piston); 1,116 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OZS Camdenton MO at 4:10 pm
- Destination: Roxbury KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KSLN, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 11, 2017. 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 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.