History of Flight
On February 20, 2013, about 1820 central standard time, a Maule MXT-7-180 airplane, registration N9229Y, was substantially damaged when it impacted a snow-covered field in Parkers Prairie, Minnesota. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Greater Peoria Regional Airport (PIA), Peoria, Illinois, at 1438, with an intended destination of a private field in Ottertail, Minnesota.
The pilot contacted his brother and wife via cell phone and text messages during the flight. At 1510, the pilot reported being over the Quad Cities area. He sent a text at 1825 stating he would be "flying over home" and would land if light enough. He later asked his brother if the landing strip at the farm where the airplane was kept had been plowed; the brother confirmed at 1805, which was the last contact.
A witness on the property heard a loud "pop" resembling an engine backfiring, followed by the sound of impact. He went outside, saw the wreckage, and smelled fuel. Another witness, about half a mile from the site, saw the airplane approach from the south, fly over, then make a left 180-degree turn. The witness stated it was dark, estimated the airplane's altitude at about 30 feet, and noted the engine initially sounded normal but sputtered just before impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 41, held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued September 3, 2009. He had a Medical Waiver Certificate due to congenitally short arms and joint contractures, demonstrated during a medical flight test in a Cessna 150. The pilot flew the accident airplane from the right seat. His logbook, covering October 2004 through February 2013, showed total flight time of 539.1 hours, with 53.4 hours in the accident make and model and 49.4 hours of night flying.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 1993 Maule MXT-7-180, serial number 14026C. It was a high-wing, single-engine airplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360-C1F engine, serial number L-33266-36A. It received a normal category airworthiness certificate on January 21, 1993. The pilot and his brother were co-owners, having purchased it on August 23, 2012.
Last annual inspections were performed on October 18, 2012, at a tachometer reading of 1,349.6 hours and a Hobbs meter reading of 1,496.8 hours. Modifications included a throttle control modification, an extended flap handle, a new throttle friction lock installed August 30, 2012, and an EZ Flap extension (Supplemental Type Certificate SA02246LA) installed September 7, 2012.
At PIA, the pilot requested a fuel top-off, receiving 34 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. FBO personnel reported that during engine start, the engine was flooded; spark plugs were cleaned, mag timing checked, battery charged, and no anomalies found before successful start. The tachometer read 1,376.1 at departure and 1,380.2 at the accident site.
Meteorological Information
Weather recorded at Chandler Field Airport (AXN), Alexandria, Minnesota, 27 miles south of the accident site, at 1753: wind 100 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature -13°C, dewpoint -19°C, altimeter 30.35 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted an open snow-covered field, traveling about 300 feet across the field and a rural driveway before coming to rest in a wooded area. The wreckage path was along a 300-degree heading. First responders smelled fuel near the main wreckage.
Initial impact marks included a five-foot long mark containing green glass from the right wing navigational light, a three-foot mark, and an 18-inch slash. Debris scattered between the initial impact and the main wreckage included sections of both wings, right wing lift struts, upper engine cowling, propeller ring gear, baggage door, right wing auxiliary fuel tank, right main landing gear, nose gear, and propeller. The left main landing gear and inboard wing sections were near the main wreckage.
The cockpit was destroyed. Elevator trim was set slightly nose-down. Control cables showed overload separations. The fuel selector was in the "Both" position; fuel transfer switches were not located. The empennage separated aft of the seats. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached; the right stabilizer was partially destroyed. Both left wing lift struts were attached to the wing but pulled from the fuselage with overload signatures.
The right wing was destroyed; both fuel tanks separated, with the inboard tank ruptured. The propeller blades and hub separated from the engine crankshaft; blades were twisted and bent aft, with one tip missing and nicks on leading edges. The engine separated from the fuselage. Examination revealed normal spark plugs, cylinders, pistons, valves, crankshaft continuity, thumb compression on all cylinders, sparks from both magnetos, clean screens, intact vacuum pump, and no anomalies in the carburetor. Control linkages were broken off the propeller governor and carburetor; the fuel pump was broken off.
Additional Information
The fuel system included main tanks (20 gallons usable each) and auxiliary tanks (15 gallons each). Main tanks supplied the engine; auxiliary tanks replenished via transfer pumps activated by switches. The pilot's brother calculated fuel consumption at 9 gallons per hour; normal procedure was to use main tanks until half-full, then transfer. He noted the transfer rate was very slow, barely enough to keep the engine running. The flight duration based on tachometer readings was 4.1 hours.
The pilot's iPhone 3GS was recovered; examination found no GPS historical data but evidence of ForeFlight app usage. Two flight plans were discovered: one direct from PIA to "Menze-Aaron" private airport (430 nautical miles, course 327° magnetic, planned fuel burn 35.9 gallons, time 3 hours 35 minutes) and another to Wadena Municipal Airport (422 nautical miles). Winds aloft were not included. The pilot's brother reported experiencing an engine backfire once when retarding the throttle for landing.
No air traffic control communications occurred during the en route portion of the flight. An autopsy attributed the pilot's cause of death to trauma from the accident. Toxicology testing was negative for all substances.