Maule MX 7 N56681

Summary

On 15 December 2016 at about 20:00 local time, a Maule MX 7 registered N56681 was involved in an accident near Willow, 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

15 December 2016 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Willow, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.8603, -151.4055

Aircraft

Maule MX 7

Registration

N56681

Category

Airplane

Year built

1987

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Willow → Willow

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA101

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to ensure that the runway was clear of any obstacles before departure, which resulted in the airplane impacting a snowdrift.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during takeoff from a remote airstrip, the airplane impacted a snowdrift and was "launched" into the air. Subsequently, he heard something break. He added that the airplane appeared to be fine with no indications of a problem other than the left tire "looked a little off." The pilot returned to his original departure airport without further incident. During a postaccident examination, his mechanic discovered that the tubing in the bottom of the fuselage where the oleo strut attached to the main landing gear was broken. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot added that walking the runway before takeoff might have revealed the snowdrift.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.