NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CEN20CA356
Registry · N386X
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
MAULE M-5-235C
Year of manufacture
1976 · 44 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19760820
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A473A1
Registrant of record
O'CONNOR ROBERT W
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's loss of directional control during landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the airplane touched down on the runway without incident. Shortly after touchdown, the airplane encountered a sudden wind gust and turned to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with aileron and rudder input. However, the airplane continued to turn left about 180° and came to rest upright. He stated that his aileron input was incorrect and exaggerated the left turn. In addition, he reported he was an inexperienced tailwheel pilot and the accident was "100% a case of pilot error." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the airplane touched down on the runway without incident. Shortly after touchdown, the airplane encountered a sudden wind gust and turned to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with aileron and rudder input. However, the airplane continued to turn left about 180° and came to rest upright. He stated that his aileron input was incorrect and exaggerated the left turn. In addition, he reported he was an inexperienced tailwheel pilot and the accident was "100% a case of pilot error." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2020_CEN20CA356.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2021 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Predictability improvement of Scheduled Flights Departure Time Variation using Supervised Machine Learning
The departure time uncertainty exacerbates the inaccuracy of arrival time estimation and demand for arrival slots, particularly for movements to capacity constrained airports.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2020 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Prediction of Gate In Time of Scheduled Flights and Schedule Conformance using Machine Learning-based Algorithms
Prediction of Gate to Gate block time for scheduled flights is considered as one of the challenging tasks in Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM)system.
- NTSB Aircraft Accident Reports 2019 · Accident report
Loss of Engine Power and Subsequent Ditching of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380
Southwest 1380 (B737-700) Philadelphia, April 17, 2018 — uncontained engine failure, passenger fatality. Examines the uncontained failure of a CFM56-7B fan blade due to high-cycle fatigue that breache…
- NTSB Aircraft Accident Reports 2010 · Accident report
Loss of Thrust in Both Engines After Encountering a Flock of Birds — US Airways 1549
US Airways 1549 (A320) Hudson River ditching, January 15, 2009. NTSB investigation of the successful ditching of US Airways 1549 in the Hudson River after a Canada Goose strike disabled both CFM56 eng…
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