Improper installation of the crankshaft drive gear by maintenance personnel, who failed to install all required hardware, resulting in an in-flight engine failure.
NTSB
Pilot loses control during pattern work
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control after takeoff, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
Human Factors: Even a little crash can be deadly
More often than not, it’s the little things that kill you. For instance, of all the myriad hazards of flying the bush in Alaska, death by pond taxi in the state’s third-largest city would seem so low on the list of possibilities as to be nearly impossible. And yet…
Light glare, dirty windscreen lead to impact with ditch
The pilot’s decision to continue the taxi without visual reference to the surface, due to his vision being impaired by darkness and glare, which resulted in the airplane’s departure from the paved surface and impact with a ditch. Contributing was the flight instructor’s inadequate monitoring of the pilot.
Fuel starvation, low altitude lead to crash
The total loss of engine power due to the pilot’s improper fuel management, which led to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the low altitude at which the loss of engine power occurred.
Attempted takeoff in wet sand bends Maule
The pilot’s decision to depart from an area of wet sand, which resulted in a nose over during the attempted takeoff.
Microburst ends training flight
The airplane’s encounter with a microburst during initial climb that resulted in a loss of altitude and subsequent collision with a tree.
High winds bring down Piper
The pilot’s decision to depart during high, gusty wind conditions which resulted sink and subsequent impact with terrain.
Brothers crash while intentionally flying low
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain while intentionally maneuvering the airplane at low altitudes, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.