On 25 Jan 2018, a MAULE M 6 235 operated by ALAS VIEJAS LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Boerne, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: 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. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During night taxi, a pilot deactivated anti-collision lights due to disco effect, then collided with an automobile that did not vacate the taxiway as anticipated. The airplane sustained substantial structural damage.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that during taxi at night, he turned off the airplane's anti-collision lights because they were creating a disco effect. While proceeding on the taxiway toward his hangar, he observed an automobile converging on the same taxiway. The pilot anticipated that the vehicle would turn off the taxiway. When the automobile did not turn, the pilot increased engine throttle and cycled the lights on and off in an attempt to alert the driver. Despite these efforts, the automobile and the airplane collided.
Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward right-side fuselage and the right wing.
Malfunction Report
The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.