Maule MX7 accident near Soldatna, Alaska, June 11, 2019
On June 11, 2019 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1994 Maule MX7, registered N61339, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Soldatna, Alaska (Mackeys Lakes airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s attempt to land on water in an airplane that was not equipped with floats.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2019 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Soldatna, Alaska · Mackeys Lakes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MX7 180A, built 1994 · all MX7s on the register
- Registration
- N61339 · registry record · serial 20013C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying an airplane equipped with tundra tires. He reported that, while landing the airplane on water, he realized that he "was still on [the] wheels"; it was not equipped with floats. Water entered the flight deck, the pilot egressed, and the airplane sank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windscreen. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Expectation/assumption › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 22, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 796.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4F (piston); 799 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L85 Soldatna AK
- Destination: L85 Soldatna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway S, 3,000 ft by 1,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from PASX, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 5, 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, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | 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.