Maule MXT-7-180 accident near Parkers Parairie, Minnesota, February 21, 2013
On February 21, 2013, a Maule MXT-7-180, registered N9229Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Parkers Parairie, Minnesota. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to transfer fuel from the auxiliary fuel tanks to the main fuel tanks in a timely manner, which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 2013
- Place
- Parkers Parairie, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MXT-7-180 · all MXT-7-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9229Y · registry record · serial 14026C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning home from a cross-country business trip when the accident occurred. A witness reported hearing a "loud pop" that sounded like an "engine backfiring" followed by the sound of impact. Another witness reported seeing the airplane flying low and hearing the engine sputter just before the airplane impacted terrain. The airplane impacted a snow-covered field and traveled about 300 ft before it came to rest. First responders reported smelling fuel near the main wreckage. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have resulted in the accident. The airplane's fuel tanks were filled before departure. Each main fuel tank held 20 gallons of usable fuel, and each auxiliary fuel tank held 15 gallons of fuel. The main fuel tanks supplied fuel to the engine. The fuel selector was found in the "both" position. The auxiliary fuel tanks replenished the main fuel tanks via transfer pumps that were turned on by switches in the cockpit when needed; the fuel transfer pump switches were not located in the wreckage. The airplane's estimated fuel consumption rate was about 9 gallons per hour. According to the tachometer, the flight was 4.1 hours long, which would have used about 37 gallons of fuel plus additional fuel for taxi and climb. Thus, it is likely that the pilot did not transfer fuel from the auxiliary fuel tanks to the main fuel tanks in a timely manner, which resulted in the engine being starved of available fuel.
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
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 539 hours in all; 53.4 in this make and model; 504.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 25, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 2012; 30.6 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPIA Peoria IL at 8:38 pm
- Destination: Ottertail MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point -2°F (-19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from AXN, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N9229Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.