Maule M-5-235C N9177E
14 April 1996 · Lake Havasu Cty, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 April 1996 at about 05:10 local time, a Maule M-5-235C registered N9177E was involved in an accident near Lake Havasu Cty, Arizona, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 05:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lake Havasu Cty, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.4794, -114.3191
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-235C
- Registration
- N9177E
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Bullhead → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX96LA167
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
the pilot-owner's inadequate engine maintenance which resulted in a progressive ignition failure. Factors which contributed to the accident were the dark nighttime light condition and the presence of hidden obstructions in the forced landing area.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot owned and operated the seaplane and had flown it for 803 hours. During the dark nighttime cruise flight, the engine began surging and then gradually lost power. The pilot planned to make a forced landing at the shoreline of the Colorado River; however, during landing the airplane slid on the grass bank and impacted a 3-foot-high tree trunk. The airplane was subsequently examined, and the following discrepancies were found: (1) Sediment was observed in the fuel filter and carburetor; (2) The number 3 cylinder intake valve was found open and stretched in excess of 0.200 inches; (3) No compression was obtained from the number 3 cylinder; (4) The engine oil was black in color; (5) The magneto's drive end seal bearing was found leaking oil; (6) The left set of points were oil fouled, and the right set of points had oil on the contacts and were coked up; and (7) The left distributor gear was missing a gear tooth.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Maule M-5 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr 1996 | Maule M-5 | Plains, Georgia, United States | Robert D. Campbell | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 May 1996 | Maule M-5-235C | Akron, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 1996 | Maule M-5-235C | Sunriver, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Dec 1996 | Maule M-5 | Levant, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Apr 1996 | Maule M-5-210C | Grayling, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1995 | Maule M-5-235C | Ogden, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1996 | Cessna 172C | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1996 | Aero Commander 690 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Sun West Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 17 Oct 1996 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Mesa, Arizona, United States | MD Helicopter Systems | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 1996 | Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1996 | Cessna 172 | Sedona, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Oct 1996 | Leibert BD-5B | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |