Maule M-5-200 accident near St.Simons, Georgia, July 26, 1999
On July 26, 1999 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Maule M-5-200, registered N5643T, was substantially damaged in an accident near St.Simons, Georgia (St. Simons Island airport). 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 inadequate installation of the magneto assembly by other maintenance personnel that in resulted the separation from the engine and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was the swampy terrain condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1999 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- St.Simons, Georgia · St. Simons Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-5-200 · all M-5-200s on the register
- Registration
- N5643T · no longer on the register · serial 8051C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, shortly after liftoff from the runway, the engine lost power. Attempts by the pilot to restore full engine power failed. The pilot selected a marshy area for a forced landing. The airplane flipped inverted during the attempted forced landing two miles northwest of the airport. The post-examination of the airplane disclosed that the dual magneto had separated from the engine assembly. The examination also showed that the magneto retention nuts and washers were not attached to the magneto. After the magneto was reinstalled on the engine, a satisfactory engine run was conducted. A review of the engine and airframe maintenance logs disclosed that the airplane was approximately 30 hours out of the last annual inspection.
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
- Flight time: 926 hours in all; 426 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,970 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 3, 1999; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-JIA6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SSI at 1:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,613 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from SSI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.