N725V

On June 25, 2009, a Maule M-5-235C (N725V) was involved in an incident near Dixie, ID. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while landing.

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.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR09CA311. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N725V.