On June 28, 2003, a Maule M-5-235C (registration N8070) was involved in an aviation accident near Moses Lake, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: An improper flare which resulted in a bounced landing during landing. The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and soft terrain were factors which eventually led to the aircraft nosing over. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
After a bounced landing, a pilot added power but felt a wind gust push the aircraft into soft sand. With carburetor heat on, full power was unavailable; turning it off resulted in power loss, and the aircraft nosed over.
Narrative
According to the pilot's report, after touchdown the aircraft bounced. The pilot added power to prevent another bounce. The pilot then felt that a gust of wind pushed the aircraft to the right side of the runway into the soft sand. At that point, the pilot realized that he could not obtain full power because the carburetor heat was engaged. The pilot turned off the carburetor heat, and reported that "the plane lost power." The pilot pulled back on the control yoke, and the airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted.
Weather
The nearest weather reporting facility, located five nautical miles northwest of the accident airport, reported winds from 70 degrees at eight knots. The pilot was landing on runway 34.
Aircraft Condition
The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.