- Date
- May 13, 2012, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N615SDMaule M-4-220C
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120513010889A
- Case key
- 83878
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to use a preflight checklist and subsequent failure to turn on the airplane's fuel supply, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he did not use a preflight checklist, and, as a result, he did not turn the fuel selector valve to the "ON" position. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and the airplane impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage to both wings. The pilot said that the accident could have been prevented if he had used a preflight checklist.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he did not use a preflight checklist, and as a result, he did not turn the fuel selector valve to the "ON" position. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and the airplane impacted terrain, receiving substantial damage to both wings. The pilot said that the accident could have been prevented through the use of a preflight checklist.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N615SD
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-220C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2083C
- Airframe hours
- 1,202
- Engine
- Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Sterling, AK
- Destination
- Soldotna, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,676 total · 300 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 529 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.