Maule M-7-235 accident near Aniak, Alaska, September 21, 1995
On September 21, 1995, a Maule M-7-235, registered N56564, was substantially damaged in an accident near Aniak, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation. Factors associated with the accident were: the box canyon, rising terrain, wind gusts, and downdrafts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1995
- Place
- Aniak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-7-235 · all M-7-235s on the register
- Registration
- N56564 · no longer on the register · serial 4010C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting to takeoff from a remote lake towards rising terrain. He had made an earlier flight in the same direction with winds estimated at 7 to 10 knots. The initial flight was made without incident. The pilot said that soon after takeoff on the accident flight, he suddenly encountered winds estimated at 40 knots. Also, he said that an associated downdraft would not allow the airplane to climb away from the rising terrain, and that he elected to land in the tundra instead of continuing into higher terrain.
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: airplane
- Flight time: 2,337 hours in all; 2,064 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 2,270 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,250 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 26, 1995; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-W1ASD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ANI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 10 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.