Maule M 6 accident near Boerne, Texas, January 25, 2018
On January 25, 2018, a 1983 Maule M 6, registered N56548, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Boerne, Texas (Boerne Stage Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The ground vehicle driver’s decision to drive on an active taxiway at night and failure to yield to taxiing aircraft, resulting in a collision with a taxiing aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2018
- Place
- Boerne, Texas · Boerne Stage Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M 6 235, built 1983 · all M 6s on the register
- Registration
- N56548 · no longer on the register · serial 7444C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during taxi at night, he turned off his anti-collision lights because they were, "creating a disco effect." On the taxiway, and heading to his hangar, he noticed an automobile that was converging on the same taxiway. The pilot expected the automobile to turn off the taxiway. When the vehicle did not turn, the pilot increased the throttle and turned the lights on and off to get the drivers attention. However, the automobile and the airplane collided. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward right-side fuselage and the right-wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Other/unknown
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 577 hours in all; 188 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 511 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 16, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,206.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-W1A5D (piston); 1,213 hours total
- Operator: Alas Viejas LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 24R Dilley TX
- Destination: 24R Dilley TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,006 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.42 inHg
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 May 17, 2018. 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 | 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.