Summary
On January 25, 2018, a Maule M 6 (N56548) was involved in an accident near Boerne, TX. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The ground vehicle driver’s decision to drive on an active taxiway at night and failure to yield to taxiing aircraft, resulting in a collision with a taxiing aircraft.
According to the pilot, during taxi at night, he turned off his anti-collision lights because they were, "creating a disco effect."
On the taxiway, and heading to his hangar, he noticed an automobile that was converging on the same taxiway. The pilot expected the automobile to turn off the taxiway. When the vehicle did not turn, the pilot increased throttle and turned the lights on and off to get the drivers attention. However, the automobile and the airplane collided.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward right-side fuselage and the right-wing.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
This accident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA111. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N56548.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The ground vehicle driver’s decision to drive on an active taxiway at night and failure to yield to taxiing aircraft, resulting in a collision with a taxiing aircraft.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
According to the pilot, during taxi at night, he turned off his anti-collision lights because they were, "creating a disco effect."
On the taxiway, and heading to his hangar, he noticed an automobile that was converging on the same taxiway. The pilot expected the automobile to turn off the taxiway. When the vehicle did not turn, the pilot increased throttle and turned the lights on and off to get the drivers attention. However, the automobile and the airplane collided.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward right-side fuselage and the right-wing.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA18CA111