Accident Details
On November 15, 2013, at approximately 1545 eastern standard time, a Maule M-5-180C, registration N76RD, was destroyed when it collided with trees during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power. The aircraft was operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from Marshfield Municipal Airport (GHG) in Marshfield, Massachusetts, and was destined for Falmouth Airpark (5B6) in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airline transport pilot was seriously injured.
Flight History
The accident flight was the first after an annual inspection. The pilot planned to fly the aircraft from the maintenance facility to his home airport. According to witnesses, during the initial climb at about 400 feet above ground level, the pilot announced on the common traffic advisory frequency that he was returning to the airport due to a rough running engine. The airplane then banked left and descended into trees. Following the collision, a postcrash fire consumed the wreckage.
The pilot reported that the airplane departed on runway 24 with 40 gallons of fuel. As the airplane climbed through 400 feet, the engine lost power: rpm dropped to 1,500 and the engine started backfiring. The pilot turned away from some houses and performed a forced landing into trees.
Aircraft and Engine Examination
The Maule was equipped with a Lycoming O-360, 180-horsepower engine, which had accumulated 1,541 hours since a major overhaul in 1994. The engine separated from the airframe during impact and postcrash fire, but the propeller remained attached. One propeller blade was curled aft and bent at the tip; the other showed charring near the tip but was otherwise undamaged.
Valve covers and top sparkplugs were removed; electrodes were intact and gray. The rear accessory section was heat damaged and removed for crankshaft rotation access. Magnetos sustained heat damage and could not be tested. The engine-driven fuel pump was intact and actuated by hand. The oil filter and screen were free of debris; oil was present throughout. The carburetor was heat damaged and untestable. The vacuum pump was disassembled, and its rotor vanes were intact. Manual rotation of the propeller confirmed camshaft, crankshaft, and valve train continuity to the rear accessory section, and thumb compression was achieved on all cylinders.
The propeller governor was examined at the manufacturer's facility under FAA supervision. Due to fire damage, it could not be tested, but teardown revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
The recorded weather at Marshfield Municipal Airport at 1555 was: wind from 200 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 19 knots; visibility 10 miles; clear sky; temperature 14°C; dew point -2°C; altimeter 30.14 inches of mercury.