- Date
- February 20, 1993, 14:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Chena Hot Sprng, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9176EMaule M5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930220002989A
- Case key
- 5865
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 total failure of the landing gear axle as a result of a pre existing fracture in the axle.
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
The sightseeing flight, conducted under 14 CFR part 91, crashed on landing. Witnesses reported that the upon making initial contact with the snow covered surface, the airplane bounced back into the air to a height of two to three feet and the right ski separated from the landing gear structure. Post accident examination disclosed that the fracture occurred at the tubular axle flange of the landing gear. An examination of the fracture revealed that there were several areas at the 12 and 6 o'clock position of the fracture surface that were very bright and rough. Surface areas at the 3 and 9 o'clock position were darker, grayish in color and the surface was somewhat smoother.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9176E
- Reported as
- Maule M5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7127C
- Airframe hours
- 1,217
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J1A50, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Seeley, Christopher R., doing business as Fairbanks Float Plane Tours
- Registered owner
- Seeley, Christopher R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 4, 1992 · 43 hours before
- Airport
- CHS · Chena Hot Springs Resort
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
- 35
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,916 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 1,700 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 27 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.