Maule M-6-235 accident near 5Nm SW Of Mcnea, Arizona, August 23, 1982
On August 23, 1982 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Maule M-6-235, registered N56493, was destroyed in an accident near 5Nm SW Of Mcnea, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1982 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- 5Nm SW Of Mcnea, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-6-235 · all M-6-235s on the register
- Registration
- N56493 · no longer on the register · serial 7406C
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED IN A RIGHT TURN WITH AN ABNORMALLY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE ACFT APPEAREDTO STALL & SLIDE TOWARD THE LEFT WING. BEFORE A RECOVERY COULD BE COMPLETED THE LEFT WING & NOSE HIT SIMULTANEOUSLY AT A 45 DEG ANGLE IN SOFT GROUND. A WITNESS STATED THE PLT HAD SAID HE WAS GOING TO BUZZ THE PERSONS REMAINING ON THE GROUND. A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 7,000 FT WAS CALCULATED.
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: 2,890 hours in all; 365 in this make and model; 2,726 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 99 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-W1A5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Arizona Truss Fabricators, INC
The flight
- Departed from: 5Nm SW Of Mcnea AZ at 3:14 pm
- Destination: 219 Chandler AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 189°F (87°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from DUG, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.