Maule M-4-220C accident near Sterling, Alaska, May 13, 2012
On May 13, 2012 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Maule M-4-220C, registered N615SD, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Sterling, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to use a preflight checklist and subsequent failure to turn on the airplane's fuel supply, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2012 · about 9:00 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Sterling, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-4-220C · all M-4-220Cs on the register
- Registration
- N615SD · registry record · serial 2083C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he did not use a preflight checklist, and, as a result, he did not turn the fuel selector valve to the "ON" position. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and the airplane impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage to both wings. The pilot said that the accident could have been prevented if he had used a preflight checklist.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the fuel system
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Inoperative other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,676 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,202 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A-350-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sterling AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Soldotna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from PASX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 27, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N615SD on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Maule M-4 207 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Maule 1,345 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Franklin 6A-350-C1 16 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 823 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,143 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC12CA047.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.