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GAA16CA142

2016-03-01 · Wasilla, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport IYS

Current FAA registration · N12BE

Make / Model
MAULE M-5-235C
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20031006
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A05177

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a runway excursion, and an impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The student pilot and his flight instructor conducted 6 takeoffs and landings in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The student pilot then took off solo, flew in the traffic pattern, and during the landing he reported that as soon as the wheels hit the pavement it jerked hard to the right. The student pilot attempted to "straighten it out" but he reported that the airplane was going too fast so he applied power and attempted to take off. He then stated that the airplane "jumped me to the right of the runway," the airplane departed the runway to the right, the propeller impacted terrain, and the main landing gear collapsed under the fuselage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the two right wing lift struts. The student pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the student pilot stated "more practice" and "land on gravel." The student pilot and his flight instructor conducted 6 takeoffs and landings in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The student pilot then took off solo, flew in the traffic pattern, and during the landing he reported that as soon as my wheels hit the pavement it jerked hard to the right. The student pilot attempted to "straighten it out" but he reported that the airplane was going too fast so he applied power and attempted to take off. He then stated that the airplane "jumped me to the right of the runway," the airplane departed the runway to the right, the propeller impacted terrain, and the main landing gear collapsed under the fuselage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the two right wing lift struts. The student pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the student pilot stated "more practice" and "land on gravel." Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed 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_2016_GAA16CA142.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers