- Date
- September 17, 2025, 18:25 local (Sep 18, 2025, 02:25 UTC)
- Place
- Lime Village, AK · Remote airstrip
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4612TMaule M-4-210C
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Unknown or undetermined
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250917018849A
- Case key
- 201915
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
A collision with terrain during takeoff.
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
Witnesses reported a tailwheel-equipped airplane crashed on takeoff from a remote gravel bar. The non-certificated pilot did not report the accident, and the pilot and passengers did not provide statements. The wreckage was not available for examination. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wing lift struts. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4612T
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-210C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1001C
- Engine
- Continental IO-360, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Unknown
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.53 inHg
- Observed at
- ATK, 99 nm away
- METAR
- METAR PATK 180253Z AUTO 19005KT 10SM CLR 15/06 A2953 RMK AO2 SLP003 T01500061 53007 TSNO $=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 999 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.