Maule M-5-210C N289X

Summary

On 27 September 2008 at about 23:40 local time, a Maule M-5-210C registered N289X, operated by Hanson Shanen D, was involved in an accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, United States. One person was 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

27 September 2008 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Delta Junction, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

64.0353, -145.7336

Aircraft

Maule M-5-210C

Registration

N289X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Hanson Shanen D

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Delta Junction → Delta Junction

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC08LA130

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power during takeoff due to the non-certificated pilot's inadvertent selection of the mixture control instead of the carburetor heat and his lack of training/qualification.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-certificated pilot was taking off on a personal local flight when the accident occurred. The pilot said that he taxied the length of the runway three times prior to the attempted takeoff. He said that during the takeoff/initial climb the engine lost power, and the airplane descended, impacting on a roadway and that there was structural damage to the wings and fuselage. Initially the pilot said that he thought carburetor ice was responsible for the loss of power, but then thought someone might have tampered with his fuel supply. He also noted that there may be some issues with his pilot's certificate. He said there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector interviewed the pilot and reported that the pilot said that he inadvertently pulled the mixture when the engine lost partial power, thinking it was the carburetor heat. The inspector also recovered about 2 ounces of fuel from the accident airplane's gascolator. The fuel was light blue in color, and smelled like aviation fuel. The sample appeared clear, and no impurities, water, or other contaminants were visible. The sample was tested for the presence of water using water paste, and no water was found. According to FAA records, the pilot did not have a student pilot or any other pilot certificates.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.