- Date
- August 24, 1996, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N897MMaule M-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960824023779A
- Case key
- 2886
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 selection of an unsuitable landing area.
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 pilot was making an off airport landing to pick up his passengers. During the landing roll, a rock punctured the right tire and the tire went flat. He was unable to maintain directional control and the airplane departed the right side of the landing area. The airplane rolled into alder bushes and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 24, 1996, at 1030 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Maule M-7 airplane, N897M, registered to David Glenn of Palmer, Alaska, and operated by Grasshopper Adventures of Palmer, nosed over during an off airport landing in Grasshopper Valley located 20 miles southeast of Palmer. The positioning flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Palmer and the destination was the location of the nose over. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged.
During a telephone conversation with the pilot on September 3, 1996, he stated that upon touchdown a rock punctured the right tire. He was unable to maintain directional control and the airplane ran off the right side of the landing area and into alder bushes. After striking the alder bushes the airplane nosed over. The pilot stated the airplane was equipped with 850 x 10 McCreary tires.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N897M
- Reported as
- Maule M-7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4064C
- Airframe hours
- 665
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Grasshopper Adventures
- Registered owner
- David Glenn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 23, 1996 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- PAQ · AK
- Destination
- Grasshopper Val, AK
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
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 N897M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.