20010804020339A

(.19) On August 4, 2001, at approximately 1300 mountain daylight time, a Maule MT-7-235, N116CP, was substantially damaged during landing at Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, new Mexico. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for this personal flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight departed Las Cruces at approximately 1230. According to the pilot, he was returning from a glider tow operation. The airplane landed hard and bounced, tearing the nose landing gear wheel off. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the propeller, nose landing gear and firewall. (-23) on August 4, 2001 at approximately 1330 MDT, N116CP, a Maule MT-7-235 was landing at Las Cruces airport following a glider tow operation. The commercial pilot Mr. Louis j. braddi flared just before touchdown and the aircraft porpoised resulting in the nose landing gear striking the runway surface. The nose wheel and fork assembly broke away and separated from the aircraft. The aircraft received substantial damage when the remaining strut portion of the nose landing gear dug into the runway surface and folded under the aircraft. (.4) on August 4, 2001, at approximately 1300 mountain daylight time, a Maule MT-7-235, N116CP, operated by national headquarters civil air patrol (cap), was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, new Mexico. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for this repositioning flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight departed Las Cruces at approximately 1230. According to the pilot, he was returning from a glider tow operation and was landing on runway 22. He deployed full flaps, "4th notch," for the approach. The airplane landed hard and propoised several times. The final impact with the runway collapsed the nose landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and nose landing gear. Witnesses corroborated the pilot's accident report. According to the pilot/operator aircraft accident report (NTSB form 6120.1/2), the pilot reported 2200 hours of total flight time in all aircraft and 11 hours of flight time in make and model. According to the "normal procedure s" in section iii of the federal aviation administration (FAA) approved airplane flight manual, the recommended flap setting for landing is "normally third notch (40 degrees/full flaps) - other positions permissible." A manufacturer's representative stated that the Maule MT-7-235, is equipped with a flap configuration providing only "three notches" of flap selection and that the use of a specific flap selection for landing is "optional." He also stated that different versions of the Maule can be equipped with a flap configuration providing a "fourth notch." Weather at the time of the accident was, wind, 300 degrees at 3 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; temperature, 31 degrees celsius; dew point, 9 degrees celsius; and an altimeter setting of 30.15. The airport elevation is 4,454 feet mean sea level (MSL). The calculated density altitude is 7,187 feet MSL.