Maule MXT-7-180A accident near Magnolia, Arkansas, October 2, 2010
On October 2, 2010 at about 2:00 am local time, a Maule MXT-7-180A, registered N152HS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Magnolia, Arkansas (Magnolia Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The mechanic's failure to properly install an oil drain line after he replaced a cylinder, which caused the engine to seize in flight due to a lack of lubrication.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2010 · about 2:00 am local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Magnolia, Arkansas · Magnolia Municipal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MXT-7-180A · all MXT-7-180As on the register
- Registration
- N152HS · registry record · serial 21095C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a night cross-country flight when he heard a knocking sound in the engine. He immediately proceeded toward the nearest airport, declared an emergency, and noted that the oil pressure gauge read "0" and the oil temperature gauge read "high." When the airplane was about 5 miles south of the airport, and at an altitude of 1,700 feet, the engine seized. The pilot made a forced landing to a field and subsequently collided with a fence, causing substantial damage to the airplane. Examination of the engine revealed a large hole in the top of the crankcase and that the oil drain line for the No. 4 cylinder was not connected. A review of the engine logbook indicated that the No. 2 cylinder had been removed on the day of the accident, which would have required the No. 4 cylinder oil drain line to be disconnected. When the cylinder was placed back on the engine, the oil drain line was likely not reconnected and properly torqued per the manufacturer's maintenance manual.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Eng oil dist (airframe furn) › Inadequate inspection other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Henderson State University
The flight
- Departed from: SHV Shreveport LA
- Destination: M89 Arkadelphia AR
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from ELD, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 4, 2011. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Written Statement-mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation- FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | 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
- N152HS on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Maule MXT-7 135 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Maule 1,346 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4F 21 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ralph C Weiser Field · nearest airport
- Shreveport Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Arkansas 1,582 since 1982 · 176 in the last ten years
- Arkansas 3,493 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA005.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.