# Accident 20211107019119A: Maule M-4-220C, Ridgeway, VA, November 7, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 7, 2021, 10:00 local time
- Place: Ridgeway, VA
- Airport: Pace Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.5810° N, 79.8781° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.5810&lon=-79.8781&mi=10
- Aircraft: N51127, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N51127) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Maule M-4-220C (registry code 5460114, https://openairdocs.org/model/maule-m-4-220c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Franklin 6V 350 series (registry code 27043, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6v-350-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MAULE M-4-220C
- Reported engine: FRANKLIN 6V 350 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,810 total, 261 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA22LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA052) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211107019119A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

N11527, MAULE M-4-220C, WAS REPORTED BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON NOVEMBER 7, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 ZULU. ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT PACE AIRPORT (VA02) IN RIDGEWAY, VIRGINIA. ONE PERSON ON BOARD, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOT IN COMMAND, SUSTAINING NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PACE AIRPORT AND EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE DURING CLIMB OUT. PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT IN AN AREA CONSISTING OF TREES AND SHRUBS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST SUSPENDED BY SMALL TREES AND BRUSH WITH NO EVIDENCE OF GROUND CONTACT. INSPECTORS INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THE RIGHT WING INBOARD FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE LEFT INBOARD AND OUTBOARD TANK FULL OF 100LL. INSPECTORS WERE UNABLE TO ACCESS RIGHT OUTBOARD WING TANK. THE FUEL GASCOLATOR DRAIN VALVE WAS ACTUATED AND ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED DRIPPING OUT OF IT. THE NUMBER 6 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS OBSERVED CHAFFED. INSPECTORS REMOVED THE NUMBER 6 SPARK PLUG AND NOTICED THE SPARK PLUG WAS INUNDATED WITH OIL AND THE WIRE WAS EXTREMELY LOOSE AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN INTERNALLY BROKEN.

## 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 ERA22LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA052), Nov 7, 2021: Maule M-4-220C (N51127), Ridgeway, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper fuel management which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.

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.