Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On October 3, 1993, at 1100 mountain daylight time, a Maule M-5-200C, N16CB, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at the Front Range Airport, near Watkins, Colorado. The certified flight instructor and the private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight.

According to the operator, during the third landing of the instructional period, the airplane swerved to the right during the landing roll. The pilot elected to abort the landing and applied full power as he applied full left rudder. As soon as he added power, the instructor started to tell the pilot to close the throttle and continue the landing roll. The pilot stated that he reduced the power and then lost control of the airplane, ground looping off the runway. The instructor pilot stated that the pilot failed to relinquish the controls of the airplane.

The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing sustained structural damage after it dug into the ground. THE PILOT'S LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL RESULTING IN THE INADVERTENT GROUND LOOP. A FACTOR WAS THE INSTRUCTOR'S FAILURE TO TAKE REMEDIAL ACTION ON A TIMELY MANNER.