20020120005209A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Maule M-7-235B · Sarasota-Braden, FL · January 20, 2002

Date
January 20, 2002 · 13:45 local
Place
Sarasota-Braden, FL
Airport
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N235AL
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA02LA056
Reported as
Maule M7235B
Reported engine
Lycoming O540B4B5
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,173 total27 in this make and model109 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On January 20, 2002, at 1345 EST, a Maule M-7-235B, N235AL, registered to cedar key seaplane service corporation, gainesville, Florida, ground looped on landing at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, Sarasota, Florida, while on a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an IFR flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the airline transport rated pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight originated at key west, Florida on January 20, 2002 at 1300 hours. The aircraft landed at Sarasota on runway 14. The prevailing winds were 11 knots at 210 degrees with no gusts reported. The pilot and right seat passenger reported turbulence due to trees and a newly constructed noise barrier near the end of runway 14. The aircraft sustained damage to the lower left fuselage longeron in the area of the step and damage to the left wing inboard of the wing tip. The engine cowling, left landing gear, left wing tip, left aileron, and prop blades were also damaged. Flight control continuity and direction of travel were normal. (.19) on January 20, 2002, about 1345 eastern standard time, a Maule M-7-235B, N235AL, registered to and operated by cedar key seaplane service corporation, experienced a loss of control during the landing roll at the Sarasota/Bradenton international airport, Sarasota, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, and three passengers were not injured. The flight originated about 1300 hours from the key west international airport, key west, Florida. The pilot stated that he flew the airplane and three passengers down to key west, Florida, the day before; one of the passengers was the owner of the airplane, but is not a pilot. The flight departed to return and when southeast of the airport, the pilot cancelled the instrument clearance. He reported that the wind was from 200 degrees at 10 to 15 knots, and landings were being conducted on runways 14 and 22. The flight was vectored for a landing on runway 14, and landed first on the right main landing gear and tailwheel due to the crosswind from the right. During the landing roll with full right aileron and left rudder input applied, the airplane ground looped to the right. The pilot further reported that he did not ask to land on runway 22 and that the wind was turbulent due to "trees and a newly constructed noise barrier on the upwind side of that runway." (.4) on January 20, 2002, about 1345 eastern standard time, a Maule M-7-235B, N235AL, registered to and operated by cedar key seaplane service corporation, experienced a loss of control during the landing roll at the Sarasota/Bradenton international airport, Sarasota, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, and three passengers were not injured. The flight originated about 1300 hours from the key west international airport, key west, Florida. The pilot stated that he flew the airplane and three passengers down to key west, Florida, the day before; one of the passengers was the owner of the airplane, but is not a pilot. The flight departed to return and when southeast of the airport, the pilot cancelled the instrument clearance. He reported that the wind was from 200 degrees at 10 to 15 knots, and landings were being conducted on runways 14 and 22. The flight was vectored for a landing on runway 14, and landed first on the right main landing gear and tailwheel due to the crosswind from the right. During the landing roll with full right aileron and left rudder input applied, the airplane ground looped to the right. The pilot further reported that he did not ask to land on runway 22 and that the wind was turbulent due to "trees and a newly constructed noise barrier on the upwind side of that runway." He further stated that the situation could have been prevented if he had insisted on landing on runway 22 which was the favored runway based on the wind direction, and there was no mechanical failure or malfunction.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JANUARY 20, 2002, AT 1345 EST, A MAULE M-7-235B, N235AL, REGISTERED TO CEDAR KEY SEAPLANE SERVICE CORPORATION, GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, GROUND LOOPED ON LANDING AT THE SARASOTA-BRADENTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SARASOTA, FLORIDA, WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT KEY WEST, FLORIDA ON JANUARY 20, 2002 AT 1300 HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT SARASOTA ON RUNWAY 14. THE PREVAILING WINDS WERE 11 KNOTS AT 210 DEGREES WITH NO GUSTS REPORTED. THE PILOT AND RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER REPORTED TURBULENCE DUE TO TREES AND A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED NOISE BARRIER NEAR THE END OF RUNWAY 14. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LOWER LEFT FUSELAGE LONGERON IN THE AREA OF THE STEP AND DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING INBOARD OF THE WING TIP. THE ENGINE COWLING, LEFT LANDING GEAR, LEFT WING TIP, LEFT AILERON, AND PROP BLADES WERE ALSO DAMAGED. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY AND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL WERE NORMAL. (.19) ON JANUARY 20, 2002, ABOUT 1345 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A MAULE M-7-235B, N235AL, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY CEDAR KEY SEAPLANE SERVICE CORPORATION, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL AT THE SARASOTA/BRADENTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SARASOTA, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1300 HOURS FROM THE KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KEY WEST, FLORIDA. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FLEW THE AIRPLANE AND THREE PASSENGERS DOWN TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA, THE DAY BEFORE; ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WAS THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, BUT IS NOT A PILOT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TO RETURN AND WHEN SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT CANCELLED THE INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE. HE REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 200 DEGREES AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS, AND LANDINGS WERE BEING CONDUCTED ON RUNWAYS 14 AND 22. THE FLIGHT WAS VECTORED FOR A LANDING ON RUNWAY 14, AND LANDED FIRST ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND TAILWHEEL DUE TO THE CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT. DURING THE LANDING ROLL WITH FULL RIGHT AILERON AND LEFT RUDDER INPUT APPLIED, THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT ASK TO LAND ON RUNWAY 22 AND THAT THE WIND WAS TURBULENT DUE TO "TREES AND A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED NOISE BARRIER ON THE UPWIND SIDE OF THAT RUNWAY." (.4) ON JANUARY 20, 2002, ABOUT 1345 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A MAULE M-7-235B, N235AL, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY CEDAR KEY SEAPLANE SERVICE CORPORATION, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL AT THE SARASOTA/BRADENTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SARASOTA, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1300 HOURS FROM THE KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KEY WEST, FLORIDA. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FLEW THE AIRPLANE AND THREE PASSENGERS DOWN TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA, THE DAY BEFORE; ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WAS THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, BUT IS NOT A PILOT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TO RETURN AND WHEN SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT CANCELLED THE INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE. HE REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 200 DEGREES AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS, AND LANDINGS WERE BEING CONDUCTED ON RUNWAYS 14 AND 22. THE FLIGHT WAS VECTORED FOR A LANDING ON RUNWAY 14, AND LANDED FIRST ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND TAILWHEEL DUE TO THE CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT. DURING THE LANDING ROLL WITH FULL RIGHT AILERON AND LEFT RUDDER INPUT APPLIED, THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT ASK TO LAND ON RUNWAY 22 AND THAT THE WIND WAS TURBULENT DUE TO "TREES AND A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED NOISE BARRIER ON THE UPWIND SIDE OF THAT RUNWAY." HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF HE HAD INSISTED ON LANDING ON RUNWAY 22 WHICH WAS THE FAVORED RUNWAY BASED ON THE WIND DIRECTION, AND THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.