Maule M-5-235C accident near Mt. Vernon, Washington, July 2, 1982
On July 2, 1982 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Maule M-5-235C, registered N9161E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mt. Vernon, Washington (Barker airport). It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1982 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mt. Vernon, Washington · Barker · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-235C · all M-5-235Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9161E · registry record · serial 7119C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS DUAL TRAINING FOR SHORT FIELD OBSTACLE LANDINGS. ON THE THIRD APPROACH, A DELAYED FLARE RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING AND GEAR COLLAPSE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,614 hours in all; 636 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,427 as pilot in command; 136 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 887 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J1A5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74S Anacortes WA at 10:30 am
- Destination: 74S Anacortes WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 144°F (62°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA82DA100.