# NTSB ERA17LA188: Maule M7, N126MC, Colton, NY, May 20, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 20, 2017, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC) - Place: Colton, NY - Coordinates: 44.540832, -74.925003 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.5408&lon=-74.9250&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report July 23, 2019 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 95226 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA17LA188 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95226/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95226 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA188 ## Probable cause The pilots' initiation of an uncoordinated right turn with the fuel selector positioned to the right main fuel tank, which had a low quantity of fuel in it and resulted in a total loss of engine power due to the unporting of the fuel and subsequent fuel starvation. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Maule M-7-235C, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=5460110), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in the amphibious airplane, which he had recently purchased from the commercial pilot who was onboard the airplane. The private pilot stated that he entered a 30° right bank turn and that, about 6 to 7 seconds into the turn, the engine lost total power. The commercial pilot tried to restart the engine while the private pilot leveled the airplane and looked for a place to land. The commercial pilot told the private pilot to switch the fuel selector from the right main tank to both tanks, which he did, but the engine would not restart. The commercial pilot took control of the airplane and subsequently conducted a gear-up, forced landing to a field, which resulted in substantial damage to both floats, the wing struts, both wings, the fuselage, and the firewall. Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The commercial pilot reported that the right main tank had about 5 to 7 gallons of fuel in it when the airplane entered the right turn and that the engine "definitely died due to fuel starvation," which had happened to him before when he owned the airplane. According to the airframe manufacturer, in an uncoordinated turn, it is possible to unport fuel to the lines that carry fuel to the engine, which would result in a power loss. The chances of a loss of engine power occurring increases when there is a low quantity of fuel in the tank. Therefore, it is likely the fuel unported during the right turn because the right tank was low on fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On May 20, 2017, at 1615 eastern daylight time, N126MC, an amphibious Maule M-7-235C airplane, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field after a total loss of engine power near Colton, New York. The private pilot and the commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Tupper Lake, New York, about 1530, and was destined for Potsdam Municipal Airport (PTD), Potsdam, New York. The private pilot, who had recently purchased the airplane from the commercial pilot, stated that he was at the controls and the airplane was in a right bank at an altitude of 2,500 ft mean sea level (msl), when the engine "coughed and quit." The commercial pilot, who was seated in the right seat and had more experience flying the airplane, advanced the throttle and turned on the boost pump, while the private pilot leveled the airplane and looked for a place to land. The commercial pilot told the private pilot to switch the fuel selector from the right main tank to both tanks. The private pilot stated they were unable to re-start the engine and the commercial pilot, who took control of the airplane, made a gear-up, forced landing to a field, resulting in substantial damage to both floats, the wing struts, both wings, the fuselage, and the firewall. The commercial pilot said there was about 5-7 gallons of fuel in the right main tank when they entered a 30° bank turn to the right. When they were about 6-7 seconds into the turn, the engine sputtered, lost full power, and they were unable to re-start the engine. Initially, he thought the private pilot may have inadvertently placed the fuel selector valve to the "off" position, which inhibited them from re-starting the engine. However, postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector valve was in the "both" position. According to the manufacturer, if a pilot makes an uncoordinated turn, it is possible to unport fuel away from the lines that carry fuel to the engine. The chances of this occurring would increase with less fuel in the tank. The commercial pilot said that this had happened to him before when first he owned the airplane, but he was able to re-start the engine. He said the engine "definitely died due to fuel starvation" from fuel unporting in the wing during the turn. A postaccident examination revealed the fuel selector moved freely to each detent. The fuel line at the outlet of the engine driven fuel pump was removed and no fuel was found in the line. The fuel lines were also removed at the throttle body and the flow divider and no fuel was observed. The electric fuel boost pump was turned on and it was observed trying to pump the small amount of fuel left in the outlet line going to the engine driven fuel pump. No mechanical deficiencies werenoted with the fuel system that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the power loss. The aircraft was equipped with a JPI 700 engine analyzer, which recorded exhaust gas temperature (EGT), cylinder head temperature (CHT), and battery voltage. The unit recorded data at an interval of once every 6 seconds. A review of the taxi and takeoff portion of the flight, before the engine lost all power, did not indicate any anomalies with the engine or electrical system. The private pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane. His last third-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical was issued on February 16, 2016. The private pilot reported 1,000 total flight hours, of which, 51 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The commercial pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, multiengine airplane with an instrument airplane. He was also a certified flight instructor for single and multiengine airplane. The commercial pilot's last FAA third-class medical was issued on June 4, 2015. He reported 3,375 total flight hours, of which, 1,785 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The private pilot reported the weather as clear skies with light and variable wind. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N126MC](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N126MC-2021-03-01), registration cancelled 2021-03-01, S/N 25027C (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MAULE M7 (235C) - Registry model: [Maule M-7-235C](https://openairdocs.org/model/maule-m-7-235c) (registry code 5460110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 25027C - Year built: 1999 - Airframe hours: 1501.8 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-540 SER 235 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 9, 2017 - Departed: None, Tupper Lake, NY - Destination: PTD, Potsdam, NY - Equipment: Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 12, 2015; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,000 total, 51 in this make and model, 900 as pilot in command, 18 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Pilot-rated passenger; age 60; injuries: minor; private, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 3,375 total, 1,785 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days, 16 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Lowest ceiling: none ## 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 20170520006089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170520006089A), May 20, 2017: Maule M-7-235C, Colton, NY, Substantial damage. On 5/20/2017, N126MC took off from water on tupper lake en route to potsdam airport. Pilot reported that while in a right bank the aircraft lost power. Pilot… ## Other investigations on N126MC (1) 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 NYC99LA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA135), May 29, 1999: Maule M7-235C (N126MC), Bennington, VT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate pre-flight briefing which resulted in control interference by the right front seat passenger. ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 25, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95226. 3.9 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470587&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation - Matt Clemente (item 2, .PDF, 70 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470588&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Matt%20Clemente-Master.PDF - FAA Insepctor's Statement and ROC with Matt Clemente (commercial pilot) (item 3, .PDF, 346 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470589&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Insepctor%27s%20Statement%20and%20ROC%20with%20Matt%20Clemente%20(commercial%20pilot)-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation - Bruce Harlow (Aircraft) (item 4, .PDF, 68 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470590&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Bruce%20Harlow%20(Aircraft)-Master.PDF - JPI Engine Data Monitor Factual Report (item 5, .PDF, 2 photos, 657 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470591&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=JPI%20Engine%20Data%20Monitor%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF - JPI Engine Data Monitor Accident Flight .csv file (item 6, .CSV, 27 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470592&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=JPI%20Engine%20Data%20Monitor%20Accident%20Flight%20.csv%20file-Master.csv - Photos (item 7, .PDF, 2 photos, 424 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470593&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-Master.PDF - Evidence Control Forms (item 8, .PDF, 117 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470594&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Evidence%20Control%20Forms-Master.PDF 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.