Fairchild M-62A accident near Greenleaf, Idaho, July 5, 2026
On July 5, 2026 at about 1:25 pm local time, a 1942 Fairchild M-62A, registered N53953, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Greenleaf, Idaho (Greenleaf Air Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed during approach and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2026 · about 1:25 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Greenleaf, Idaho · Greenleaf Air Ranch · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild M-62A, built 1942 · all M-62As on the register
- Registration
- N53953 · registry record · serial T41-1342
- 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 approach to the airport, he noted that the airplane felt “heavy and sluggish.” The pilot realized the airplane was nearing its stall speed and low on its glidepath, and he attempted to correct by adding engine power and raising the nose; however, the airplane subsequently stalled and impacted terrain short of the runway. As a result, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the pilot received serious injuries. The pilot reported 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,353 hours in all; 102 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 6,221 as pilot in command; 565 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 5, 2026
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2025; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,545 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ranger L440-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ID90 Greenleaf ID at 12:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,392 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 am from KMAN, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMAN 051335Z AUTO 31006KT 10SM CLR 21/03 A2998 RMK A01
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – The airplane viewed from aft left.
Photograph 2 – The airplane viewed from the right.
Photograph 3 – The airplane’s cabin.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 8, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N53953 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N53953 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Fairchild M-62 186 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Fairchild 616 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Ranger L440-1 1 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Greenleaf Air Ranch Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Idaho 1,535 since 1982 · 287 in the last ten years
- Idaho 4,198 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N53953 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR26LA252.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.