Maule M5 N406X accident near Warrentown, Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance of a cattle-guard fence on landing. Contributing to the accident was his lack of recent flying experience.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot stated that this was his first flight in over a year due to cataract surgery. He planned to do a few touch and go landings to regain currency before departing on a local flight. The pilot said that upon his first attempt to land, he failed to maintain clearance of a cattle-guard fence that was located at the end of the grass runway. The airplane's main landing gear snagged the cattle-guard causing the nose of the airplane to dive into the ground. The airplane then nosed over inverted and came to rest upside down, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall, both sets of wing struts, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. The pilot said there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane and the accident was due to his lack of recent experience and ability to judge the airplane's height above the cattle-guard.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA16CA024 for the full record.