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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2010 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Magnolia, Arkansas · Magnolia Municipal · 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
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11LA005.