How many accidents has the Maule M-4 had?

The NTSB has recorded 91 events involving the Maule M-4: 6 fatal, 2 serious, 15 minor injuries, and 68 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Maule M-4 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Maule M-4 has 91 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Maule M-4 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 91 events recorded from 1982 to 2025.

All Events

Incidents

Minor

Serious

Fatal (7 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
May 19, 1993	MOSCOW, ID	N51458	Incident	substantial	THE INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION WIRES. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT … THE INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION WIRES. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE SUNGLARE AND THE PRESENCE OF THE WIRES.
Jun 02, 1991	BYRON, CA	N40693	Minor	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO PERFORM AN ADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BY TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS TO ELIMINATE WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE … THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO PERFORM AN ADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BY TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS TO ELIMINATE WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL SYSTEM.
May 02, 1991	BELUGA, AK	N40676	Incident	substantial	THE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO UNDETERMINED CAUSES. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNSUITABILITY OF THE AVAILABLE LANDING AREA.
Dec 11, 1990	ROMEOVILLE, IL	N40614	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION RESULTING IN POWER LOSS FROM FUEL CONTAMINATION. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE OWNER'S FAILURE TO ACCO… THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION RESULTING IN POWER LOSS FROM FUEL CONTAMINATION. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE OWNER'S FAILURE TO ACCOMPLISH AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 84-9-7 WHICH PROVIDED DIRECT, CONVENIENT ACCESS TO SAMPLE AND PURGE THE MAIN FUEL TANKS.
Oct 01, 1990	60 E OF BETHEL, AK	N51441	Fatal (1)	destroyed	CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE ABOVE MOUNTAINOU… CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE ABOVE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, ADVERSE TERRAIN AND WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, AND THE PILOT BECOMING LOST OR DISORIENTED.
Jul 21, 1990	MISSOULA, MT	N2007U	Incident	substantial	PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL.
Jul 17, 1990	KLAMATH FALLS, OR	N40643	Incident	substantial	PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL, RESULTING IN A GROUND LOOP. THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE/MODEL… PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL, RESULTING IN A GROUND LOOP. THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE/MODEL WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Mar 31, 1990	ANCHORAGE, AK	N4619T	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE UNFAVORABLE (VARIABLE) WIND AND SNOW COVERED TE… THE PILOT'S IMPROPER COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE UNFAVORABLE (VARIABLE) WIND AND SNOW COVERED TERRAIN WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Oct 15, 1989	STERLING, CO	N4550R	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT FAILED TO CORRECT A GROUND LOOP/SWERVE DURING LANDING ROLL. A STRONG CROSSWIND WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Oct 06, 1989	ORLANDO, FL	N40340	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR.
Aug 27, 1989	BAINBRIDGE, AK	N4605T	Incident	substantial	CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR LANDING. FACTORS RELATED T… CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS IN THE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AREA.
Jun 30, 1989	BELUGA, AK	N40676	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY CORRECT FOR A CROSSWIND DURING LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL.
May 19, 1989	CSTTLTN-HDSN, NY	N4713T	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE WET, SOFT GRASS.
Sep 18, 1988	CORDOVA, AK	N2044U	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 06, 1988	EUREKA CREEK, AK	N12020	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Aug 09, 1987	BURNT CHIMNEY, VA	N51436	Minor	destroyed	Investigation pending
Jul 12, 1987	SITKA, AK	N9812M	Fatal (2)	destroyed	Investigation pending
Jul 10, 1987	HOUSTON, TX	N40684	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jun 20, 1987	WELLSVILLE, NY	N40354	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jan 18, 1987	PARADISE, CA	N40349	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jul 09, 1986	JUNEAU, AK	N40646	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
May 31, 1986	SALUDA, VA	N9861M	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Mar 16, 1986	ORCHARDS, WA	N2037U	Minor	destroyed	Investigation pending
Oct 14, 1985	BLUE EARTH, MN	N9845M	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Aug 17, 1985	SOMERS, NY	N40326	Incident	destroyed	Investigation pending

Disclaimer: This data is sourced from the NTSB Aviation Accident Database. NTSB events reflect reported accidents and incidents and do not necessarily indicate a defect in the aircraft type. Many events involve pilot error, weather conditions, maintenance issues, or other factors unrelated to the aircraft design. This information is provided for research purposes only — consult official NTSB reports for complete details.

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Data source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database · About our data

Maule M-4 Safety Record

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