Maule M-7-235B N1007U

Summary

On 1 September 2001 at about 23:30 local time, a Maule M-7-235B registered N1007U was involved in an accident near Koliganek, Alaska, United States. 2 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.

Date

1 September 2001 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Koliganek, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.8436, -156.4625

Aircraft

Maule M-7-235B

Registration

N1007U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Koliganek → Port Alsworth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC01LA131

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff. A factor in the accident was the pilot's diverted attention during the takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot was departing a remote lake in a float-equipped airplane. The lake is about 1,500 feet long, and is a location the pilot has operated from in the past. The pilot said he taxied into the middle of the lake several times to check the wind conditions before takeoff. The wind appeared to shift from the northwest, to the west, about 12 knots. The pilot said he initiated one takeoff run, but aborted the takeoff. His second takeoff included a step turn toward the south, during which the airplane seemed to lose a slight amount of speed. The pilot decided to lower the flaps to assist in getting off the water and he reached for the flap handle. The pilot said that as he reached for the handle, he realized he was reaching for the area of the airplane where the flap handle is normally installed in his other airplane, a Piper PA-18. He was distracted by not finding the flap handle in the accident airplane. The airplane became airborne, but collided with the bank of the lake. The airplane was then launched upward in a steep nose-up attitude, and the pilot said a stall was eminent. He lowered the nose of the airplane, but the airplane rolled to the left, and collided with the ground. The left float assembly, the left wing, and fuselage were damaged.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.