- Date
- June 21, 1991, 00:07 local (08:07 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N40304Maule M4-220-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910621065589A
- Case key
- 5562
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 maintain airspeed during the initial climb and exceeding the gross weight of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was high vegetation.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after liftoff, the airplane crashed in a wooded area next to the airport. After the accident, it was revealed that both floats had a large amount of water in them. The PIC stated he believed that the airplane was over gross weight by 200 pounds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40304
- Reported as
- Maule M4-220-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2078C
- Airframe hours
- 425
- Engine
- Franklin GA-350-C1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Max C. Lyon Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 1991 · 1 hours before
- Destination
- NONE · Nowitna River, AK
- Airport
- FAI · Fairbanks Int'L Airport, runway 1, 5,400 × 150 ft, water
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 478 total · 11 in this make and model · 448 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAI, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.