- Date
- July 1, 2023, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Prospect Creek, AK · Dalton highway next to Arctic Circle sign
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N40661Maule M-4-210C
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230701010669A
- Case key
- 192637
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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack on climbout, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with trees.
Findings · 5
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 performed a low pass over a highway. During climbout, the pilot maintained an excessive angle of attack and the airplane veered left and impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left elevator. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40661
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-210C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2173C
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 1,595
- Engine
- Continental IO-360, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 14, 2023 · 87.3 hours before
- Departed
- 83AK · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- PABT · Bettles, AK
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 6, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 247 total · 134 in this make and model · 197 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- ABT, 27 nm away
- METAR
- PABT 011853Z 25004KT 10SM FEW028 FEW140 17/09 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP175 T01670089
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.5 MB 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.
Other investigations on N40661 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.