Maule M-4-210C accident near Eagle River, Alaska, August 4, 1982
On August 4, 1982 at about 3:00 am local time, a Maule M-4-210C, registered N9872M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eagle River, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1982 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Eagle River, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-4-210C · all M-4-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9872M · registry record · serial 9872M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE PREFLIGHTED THE FLOAT PLANE, PUMPED THE FLOATS, AND CHECKED FOR WATER. AFTER THE ENGINE START, TAXI, AND PRETAKEOFF CHECKS, HE SET THE FLAPS AT THE FIRST NOTCH. HE ABORTED HIS FIRST TAKEOFF RUN AND TAXIED BACK FOR A LONGER RUN. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING NORMAL POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT STILL TOOK LONGER THAN NORMAL TO REACH FLYING SPEED. AT 55 MPH, THE PILOT SET A SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS AND THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OUT OF THE WATER. HOWEVER, THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRSPEED WAS DECREASING, SO HE LOWERED THE NOSE SLIGHTLY, BUT THE SPEED CONTINUED TO DECREASE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE SETTLED INTO TREES NEAR THE END OF THE LAKE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 21 LBS OVER ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT. THE ELEVATION OF THE LAKE WAS ABOUT 300 FT, BUT THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 688 FT. THE WATER ON THE LAKE WAS REPORTED TO BE CALM.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,039 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Eagle River AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Eagle River AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 147°F (64°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9872M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.