Maule M7 accident near Colton, New York, May 20, 2017
On May 20, 2017 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1999 Maule M7, registered N126MC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Colton, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots' initiation of an uncoordinated right turn with the fuel selector positioned to the right main fuel tank, which had a low quantity of fuel in it and resulted in a total loss of engine power due to the unporting of the fuel and subsequent fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 2017 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Colton, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M7 235C, built 1999 · all M7s on the register
- Registration
- N126MC · registry record · serial 25027C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in the amphibious airplane, which he had recently purchased from the commercial pilot who was onboard the airplane. The private pilot stated that he entered a 30° right bank turn and that, about 6 to 7 seconds into the turn, the engine lost total power. The commercial pilot tried to restart the engine while the private pilot leveled the airplane and looked for a place to land. The commercial pilot told the private pilot to switch the fuel selector from the right main tank to both tanks, which he did, but the engine would not restart. The commercial pilot took control of the airplane and subsequently conducted a gear-up, forced landing to a field, which resulted in substantial damage to both floats, the wing struts, both wings, the fuselage, and the firewall. Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The commercial pilot reported that the right main tank had about 5 to 7 gallons of fuel in it when the airplane entered the right turn and that the engine "definitely died due to fuel starvation," which had happened to him before when he owned the airplane. According to the airframe manufacturer, in an uncoordinated turn, it is possible to unport fuel to the lines that carry fuel to the engine, which would result in a power loss. The chances of a loss of engine power occurring increases when there is a low quantity of fuel in the tank. Therefore, it is likely the fuel unported during the right turn because the right tank was low on fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power.
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 defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- Landing gear not configured during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 12, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: flight instructor, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,375 hours in all; 1,785 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,501.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 1,502 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None Tupper Lake NY at 7:30 pm
- Destination: PTD Potsdam NY
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 N126MC 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.