# Accident 19990828026099A: Maule M7235, Kotzebue, AK, August 28, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 28, 1999, 15:30 local time - Place: Kotzebue, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Low Level Operations - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: MXLC - Location: 67.2392° N, 161.1892° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=67.2392&lon=-161.1892&mi=10 - Aircraft: N770AS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N770AS) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Maule M-7-235 (registry code 5470208, https://openairdocs.org/model/maule-m-7-235) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MAULE M7235 - Reported engine: LYC IO540W1A5 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 18,400 total, 795 in this make and model, 203 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA127) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990828026099A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 28, 1999, ABOUT 1530 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A FLOAT EQUIPPED MAULE M-7 AIRPLANE, N770AS, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH A BIRD, ABOUT 8 MILES EAST OF KOTZEBUE, ALASKA, ABOUT LATITUDE 66 DEGREES, 52 MINUTES NORTH, AND LONGITUDE 162 DEGREES, 13 MINUTES WEST. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY POSITIONING FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY ARCTIC AIR GUIDES FLYING SERVICE, KOTZEBUE. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A REMOTE AREA ALONG THE SELAWIK RIVER, ABOUT 1412. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), ON AUGUST 30, 1999, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS RETURNING TO KOTZEBUE, AND DECIDED TO FLY ABOUT 200 FEET AGL ABOVE A SMALL LAKE. A LARGE BROWN BIRD COLLIDED WITH THE LEFT WING TIP OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER LANDING, HE DISCOVERED THE WING TIP FARING WAS MISSING. THE OUBOARD END OF THE WING AND THE LEFT AILERON WERE DAMAGED DURING THE IMPACT. (.4) ON AUGUST 28, 1999, ABOUT 1530 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A FLOAT EQUIPPED MAULE M-7 AIRPLANE, N770AS, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH A BIRD, ABOUT 8 MILES EAST OF KOTZEBUE, ALASKA, ABOUT LATITUDE 66 DEGREES, 52 MINUTES NORTH, AND LONGITUDE 162 DEGREES, 13 MINUTES WEST. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY POSITIONING FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY ARCTIC AIR GUIDES FLYING SERVICE, KOTZEBUE. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A REMOTE AREA ALONG THE SELAWIK RIVER, ABOUT 1412. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), ON AUGUST 30, 1999, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS RETURNING TO KOTZEBUE, AND DECIDED TO FLY ABOUT 200 FEET AGL ABOVE A SMALL LAKE. A LARGE BROWN BIRD COLLIDED WITH THE LEFT WING TIP OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER LANDING, HE DISCOVERED THE WING TIP FARING WAS MISSIN G. THE OUTBOARD END OF THE WING AND THE LEFT AILERON WERE DAMAGED DURING THE IMPACT. (-23)DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NTSB, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO KOTZEBUE, AND DECIDED TO FLY ABOUT 200 FEET AGL ABOVE A SMALL LAKE. A LARGE BROWN BIRD COLLIDED WITH THE LEFT WING TIP OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER LANDING, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE WING TIP FARING WAS MISSING, THE OUTBORAD END OF THE WING AND THE LEFT AILERON WERE DAMAGED DURING THE IMPACT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC99LA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA127), Aug 28, 1999: Maule M-7 (N770AS), Kotzebue, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: An in-flight collision with a bird. ## Other reports on N770AS (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19841027064979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19841027064979I), Oct 27, 1984: Maule M7235 (N770AS), Conway, AR, Minor damage. Pilot was unable to correct for crosswind on landing. Ran off runway into ditch. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.