Maule M4 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, May 31, 2019
On May 31, 2019 at about 3:00 am local time, a 1966 Maule M4, registered N9833M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fairbanks, Alaska (Blair Lake 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 pilot's failure to maintain the runway centerline during landing, which resulted in the airplane landing with the left wheel off the runway, an impact with trees, and a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2019 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Blair Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M4 210C, built 1966 · all M4s on the register
- Registration
- N9833M · no longer on the register · serial 1017C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on a gravel runway, he noticed that the airplane "floated slightly off of the center of the runway to the west." The airplane touched down with the left wheel off the runway in some vegetation, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination revealed that there were alder branches wrapped around the left main landing gear and that the landing gear was locked up. The pilot said he removed the branches, and the landing gear moved "fine." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 090° and light and variable. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 33.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,130 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 3,646 as pilot in command; 895 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 25, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,767 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-A (piston); 1,767 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 95Z North Pole AK
- Destination: 2AK1 Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 1,530 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2019. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | 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.
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.