Maule M-5-235C accident near Moran, Wyoming, October 16, 1991
On October 16, 1991 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Maule M-5-235C, registered N19AR, was destroyed in an accident near Moran, Wyoming. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance and altitude from terrain while maneuvering, and his failure to adequately compensate for the wind conditions. Factors contributing to the accident are terrain-induced turbulence, unfavorable winds, gusty high winds, and low altitude flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 1991 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Moran, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-235C · all M-5-235Cs on the register
- Registration
- N19AR · registry record · serial 7191C
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed on a grizzly bear tracking flight. The flight involved maneuvering in close proximity to mountainous terrain. Strong, gusty winds and turbulence prevailed at the time of the accident. The winds were from the southwest. The airplane impacted trees and terrain while flying from a westerly direction along a mountain ridge beneath a 10,870-foot tall peak. The wreckage was distributed along a 200-foot path and the impact angle was estimated to be about 35 degrees. A fuel-fed ground fire was evident. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions associated with the engine or airframe were found.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,264 hours in all; 1,769 in this make and model; 269 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 6,065 as pilot in command; 1,334 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 9, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J1A5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: JAC Jackson WY at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from JAC, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.