Event ANC94LA073

Factual narrative

On June 30, 1994, at 1620 Alaska daylight time (ADT), a wheel equipped Maule M-5 airplane, N373X, registered to and operated by the pilot-in-command (PIC), crashed during the landing rollout on runway 31 at the Lake Hood gravel strip in Anchorage, Alaska. The private certificated pilot and his two passengers, the sole occupants were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The pleasure flight (fishing trip) operating under 14 CFR Part 91, last departed Homer, Alaska at 1530 and the intended destination was the Lake Hood strip. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and there was no flight plan in effect. The PIC reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge during the on scene investigation that during his first landing attempt the airplane landed hard, bounced back into the air, and he balked the landing. During the second landing, he performed a wheeled three point touchdown in light and variable wind conditions. The airplane rolled uneventfully for a short distance than began to diverge towards the left side of the runway at a rather sharp angle. Opposite rudder and right wheel braking had no noticeable affect on the direction of the plane's movement. The airplane continue left towards the North taxiway interlink and into a ditch substantially damaging the right wing just outboard of the wing support strut. An on scene examination of the right wheel tire revealed that it had been cut. No problems were found with the plane's wheel brake system. system. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED, AND HE BALKED THE LANDING. DURING THE SECOND LANDING HE MADE A 3-POINT WHEEL TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRPLANE ROLLED UNEVENTFULLY FOR A SHORT DISTANCE, THEN VEERED UNCONTROLLABLY OFF THE STRIP INTO A DITCH. THE RIGHT WHEEL TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A SLIT AND WAS DEFLATED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12