Maule M-6-180 N5658F

Summary

On 2 July 1985 at about 22:45 local time, a Maule M-6-180 registered N5658F was involved in an accident near Corona, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

2 July 1985 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Corona, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Maule M-6-180

Registration

N5658F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chino → Chino

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX85FA304

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A BANNER TOWING MISSION, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT LOW ALT NEAR CALIFORNIA STATE FREEWAY 91. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE BANNER COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AFTER THE ACFT HAD CROSSED OVER THE LINES AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED. THE BANNER & TOW CABLE/ROPE RELEASED FROM THE ACFT & THE BANNER CAME TO REST ON THE POWER LINES. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT WHEN THE BANNER HIT THE POWER LINES, THE ACFT'S FORWARD MOVEMENT APPEARED TO STOP, THEN THE ACFT DROPPED OFF TO ITS LEFT & DESCENDED INTO THE PATH OF AN ONCOMING TRACTOR-TRAILER TRUCK. THE ACFT HAD NEARLY RECOVERED FROM THE DESCENT WHEN IT IMPACTED THE FREEWAY. THE DRIVER OF THE TRACTOR-TRAILER & HIS WIFE EXITED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INJURY; HOWEVER, THEIR SON, WHO EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE DURING THE EVACUATION, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE ACFT & TRACTOR WERE DESTROYED BY IMPACT & FIRE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE ACFT OR TOWING EQUIPMENT PRIOR TO THE COLLISION WITH THE POWER LINES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.