# NTSB ANC94LA076: Maule M-4-210, N9808M, Northway, AK, July 7, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 7, 1994, 13:15 local (21:15 UTC) - Place: Northway, AK - Coordinates: 62.999408, -141.690277 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.9994&lon=-141.6903&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 25, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2517 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC94LA076 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2517/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC94LA076 ## Probable cause THE FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT FITTINGS AS A RESULT OF THE IMPROPER WELDS BY THE MAINTENANCE REPAIR FACILITY. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT THAT PRECIPITATED THE GEAR FAILURE WERE THE WIND GUSTS, AND THE PILOT NOT ADEQUATELY COMPENSATING FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS WHICH INDUCED HEAVY SIDE LOADS. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Main gear collapsed, landing - roll - landing gear,main gear attachment - failure,total (cause) - maintenance,major repair - improper, company maintenance personnel (cause) ## Analysis FOLLOWING THE PLANE'S DIVERGENCE FROM THE RUNWAY HEADING ON INITIAL ROLLOUT DURING GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. FAA INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE WELDS TO THE LANDING GEAR LONGERON FITTINGS DID NOT HAVE PROPER PENETRATION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FITTINGS WERE INSTALLED BY AN FAA REPAIR STATION WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPAIRED AFTER AN ACCIDENT APPROXIMATELY 300 FLIGHT HOURS PREVIOUS TO THIS OCCURRENCE. ## Factual narrative On July 07, 1994, at 1315 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Maule M-4-210 airplane, N9808M, registered to and operated by the pilot-in-command, ground looped during landing on runway 22 at the Northway Airport, Northway, Alaska. The private certificated pilot and his two passengers, the sole occupants, were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The pleasure flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, last departed the Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage, Alaska at 1010 and the destination was Northway. The pilot reported that visual meteorological conditions prevailed with variable directional wind and gusts. A VFR flight plan was in effect with the Kenai Flight Service Station (FSS). The pilot, and FAA airworthiness inspector, told the NTSB investigator-in-charge during a telephone interview on the afternoon of July 07, 1994, that while landing on runway 22 he encountered variable and gusty wind conditions. He performed the approach with a little more airspeed than usual to compensate for any crosswind. The airplane touched down and bounced about two feet into the air before the main landing gear settled back onto the runway. As the tailwheel touched down, he pulled the power back to idle. Just as the power was reduced the right wing started to come up and he applied full right rudder as the airplane began to rotate to the left. He said that the rudder was ineffective at arresting the turn because he had reduced power and had little airflow over the rudder. As he started to add power, the left hand landing gear collapsed and the left wing hit the runway. The pilot reported that the left hand landing gear to fuselage attachment fittings failed by pulling away from the fuselage longeron due to an unairworthy weld. An examination of the left hand landing gear fittings by FAA Supervisory Airworthiness Inspector James F. Kuykendall of Northwest Mountain Region FSDO-09 revealed that the welds to the fittings did not have proper weld penetration into the metal of the fittings and in some areas no penetration. The pilot reported that the landing gear fittings were installed by a repair station when the aircraft was repaired after an accident approximately 300 flight hours previous to this occurrence. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9808M](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9808M), registered now, S/N 1041 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MAULE M-4-210 - Registry model: [Maule M-4-210](https://openairdocs.org/model/maule-m-4-210) (registry code 5460108) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-series) (registry code 17025, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1041 - Engines: CONTINENTAL IO-360A 210 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Smith, Stephen W. - Registered owner: Smith, Stephen W. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: MRI, ANCHORAGE, AK - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: ORT, Northway, runway 22, 5,100 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 45; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 397 total, 200 in this make and model, 293 as pilot in command, 6 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 290° at 9 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 35 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft broken - Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: ORT ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19940707017839A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940707017839A), Jul 7, 1994: Maule M4210, Northway, AK, Substantial damage. Bounced landing in gusty winds. Left gear collapsed. Aircraft ground looped gear attach faulty weld failed. ## Other investigations on N9808M (2) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC76DAG64](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC76DAG64), Nov 10, 1975: Maule M-4210 (N9808M), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage - [NTSB ANC75DAG89](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC75DAG89), May 6, 1975: Maule M4-210 (N9808M), Copper Center, AK, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.