Maule M-5-210C N9704N
21 April 1996 · Grayling, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 21 April 1996 at about 01:00 local time, a Maule M-5-210C registered N9704N was involved in an accident near Grayling, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Grayling, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 62.8898, -160.0995
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-210C
- Registration
- N9704N
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Galena
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC96LA053
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
disintegration of the alternator drive coupling, jamming of the accessory drive gear, shearing of the oil pump drive, oil starvation, and failure of the number 6 cylinder connecting rod. Non-compliance with a manufacturer's service bulletin and soft snow were factors in the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The certificated private pilot departed a remote airstrip. About 1,000 feet above the ground, the engine quit. The pilot performed an emergency landing on soft snow covered terrain and the airplane nosed over. An engine examination revealed that the alternator drive coupling, consisting of a hub, retainer and bushing, fragmented within the engine. The alternator drive shaft and the oil pump gear were fractured when fragments of the retainer were enmeshed in the engine accessory gear teeth that drove both accessories. The number 6 cylinder connecting rod failed and penetrated the engine case due to a lack of lubrication. The engine, including the alternator, was overhauled 250 hours before the accident. An engine manufacturer's service bulletin recommended inspection and replacement of the standard alternator drive coupling every 500 hours. The engine manufacturer offered a one piece alternator drive coupling in which the retainer, bushing and hub were bonded together as one unit.
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 | - |
| 14 Apr 1996 | Maule M-5-235C | Lake Havasu Cty, Arizona, United States | - | No 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 | - |
| 27 Aug 1995 | Maule M-5-235C | Ogden, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-28 | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-11 | Paxson, Alaska, United States | Mark W. Barkdull | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-14 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | David Calkins | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-18 | Kotzebue, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1996 | Cessna 180H | Palmer, Alaska, United States | Richard Greeno | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-18 | Kasilof, Alaska, United States | Paul G. Isaak | No injuries | - |