Maule M6-235 accident near Trading Bay, Alaska, January 5, 1985
On January 5, 1985 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Maule M6-235, registered N5652D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Trading Bay, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- January 5, 1985 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Trading Bay, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M6-235 · all M6-235s on the register
- Registration
- N5652D · registry record · serial 7446C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT-IN-COMMAND, IA AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID A MID-AIR COLLISION, DID NOT CONTROL HIS AIRPLANE SUFFICIENTLY TO AVOID A STALL. ONCE IN THE STALL THE PLT-IN-COMMAND DID NOT PROPERLY RECOVER & THE AIRPLANE MUSHED INTO THE GROUND.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,665 hours in all; 2,305 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 2,625 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 29, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Avco Lycoming IO-540-W1A5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Trading Bay AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.