Maule M-5-235C accident near Dixie, Idaho, June 25, 2009
On June 25, 2009 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Maule M-5-235C, registered N725V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Dixie, Idaho (Wilson Bar Usfs airport). 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 failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2009 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dixie, Idaho · Wilson Bar Usfs · 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
- N725V · registry record · serial 7480C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger had been traveling across the country visiting backcountry airstrips. They had spent two nights at a backcountry airstrip and decided to go on a day flight to one of the other airstrips in the area that was 1,500 feet in length by 50 feet wide. After surveying the landing area, the pilot stated that, as he neared the approach end of the runway, he was approximately 20 feet above ground level when the airplane dropped straight down. The pilot indicated that his airspeed was slow and that he most likely encountered a downdraft. This resulted in the airplane landing hard on the runway surface, and the airplane porpoised prior to impacting rising terrain and trees. There were no mechanical malfunctions reported.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,255 hours in all; 430 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID at 2:00 pm
- Destination: ID76 Dixie ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 1,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from MYL, 40 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.
Other NTSB records under N725V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.