Maule M-4-210C accident near Mcalister, Oklahoma, January 24, 2005
On January 24, 2005 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Maule M-4-210C, registered N9866M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mcalister, Oklahoma (Mcalister Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as result of the pilot's improper fuel calculations, and his inadequate in-flight planning decision. A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to complete an emergency pre-landing checklist, which resulted in a fuel surge during his first attempted landing into the field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2005 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mcalister, Oklahoma · Mcalister Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-4-210C · all M-4-210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9866M · no longer on the register · serial 1044C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that during the trip, he had been monitoring his fuel quantity based on calculations derived from the fuel flow indications by a fuel flow meter that was installed in his airplane. He was convinced that he had enough fuel to make it to his destination; however, when the airplane was approximately five miles east of the airport, the engine quit. The pilot looked down and noticed that the fuel quantity indicators indicated that the fuel tanks were empty. The pilot then elected to execute a forced landing into a cow pasture to the south; however, he did not complete an emergency pre-landing checklist, which included instructions to pull the mixture to an "idle cut-off" position and turn off the ignition switch . He circled the field once to lose altitude and attempted to land in a southerly direction when the engine got a "surge of fuel" and "restarted at full cruise power." The pilot then made a 180-degree turn to stay in the field. During the turn, the engine lost power once again, and "the airplane stalled and landed hard." An examination of the airplane by an FAA Inspector revealed that the fuel tanks were empty.
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: 1,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAN Jackson MS at 2:00 pm
- Destination: MLC Mcalister OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from MLC, 5 miles away
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.