Maule M-7 accident near Chickaloon, Alaska, January 1, 2005
On January 1, 2005 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Maule M-7, registered N4262D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chickaloon, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance during cruise flight, which resulted in an in-flight collision with power lines, and an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain. A factor associated with the accident was the power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2005 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chickaloon, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-7 · all M-7s on the register
- Registration
- N4262D · no longer on the register · serial 23061C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in VFR conditions. A witness reported seeing the airplane flying low over a highway when it struck power lines that crossed the highway. The accident site is located in a gently rolling, wide mountain valley, and the power lines were about 30 feet above the highway. The cables did not break immediately, and the airplane pulled the cables free from the poles on both sides of the highway, and snapped the top six feet and cross arm off one pole, carrying the cables and debris about 100 yards to the airplane's final resting place. An examination revealed all the major airframe components and flight controls were present, and flight-control continuity was established. One propeller blade had extensive leading edge gouging, chord-wise scratches, and torsional twisting and bending. An examination of the engine revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. The pilot and front seat passenger, who were both seriously injured, said they had no recollection of the accident. The pilot did not indicate in his written report to the NTSB that there was any preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,313 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,213 as pilot in command; 825 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 583 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2004; 142 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0AK1 Anderson Lake AK at 4:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.