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20210406004929A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Maule MT-7-235 · Jewett, TX · April 6, 2021

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Date
April 6, 2021 · 16:00 local
Place
Jewett, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N811SG
Reported as
Maule MT-7-235
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-W1A5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
154 total154 in this make and model
N811SGRegistered now · Maule MT-7-235S/N 18105C · Built 2008Airframe modelMaule MT-7-235Engine modelLycoming IO-540-W1A5Reciprocating

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.

Pilot statement:

Full flight was VFR no weather issues.

Departed Colorado spring from kfly at about 7:40AM (mountain time) to kpub to pick up passenger at about 8:30AM (mountain time). Departed kpub about 9AM (mountain time) and next destination was krph for fuel and bathroom break. Arrived at krph at about 2PM (central time) and departed about 2:30PM (central time) to final destination. Arrived at final destination about 4PM (central time) and proceeded to do several passes on a private grass field (off airport) to assess landing safely. After my third pass I had decided on what seem to be very stable and relatively flat surface. I committed to the landing and and setup for a slow and stable stol approach, at touchdown air speed was about 30-35MPH and touched down, just seconds after touchdown we hit something hard that launched as back into the air about 5-10 feet and abruptly hit nose first and rolled forward ending upside down. We safely exited the plane and got clear. After settling down for a few minutes and making sure passenger and myself were safe. I realized that we had hit a berm that was covered in grass and could not see the contour from the air. I never saw the berm even at touchdown or roll-out. The berm collapsed the front landing gear and caused us to nose into the ground and flip.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATEMENT:

FULL FLIGHT WAS VFR NO WEATHER ISSUES.

DEPARTED COLORADO SPRING FROM KFLY AT ABOUT 7:40AM (MOUNTAIN TIME) TO KPUB TO PICK UP PASSENGER AT ABOUT 8:30AM (MOUNTAIN TIME). DEPARTED KPUB ABOUT 9AM (MOUNTAIN TIME) AND NEXT DESTINATION WAS KRPH FOR FUEL AND BATHROOM BREAK. ARRIVED AT KRPH AT ABOUT 2PM (CENTRAL TIME) AND DEPARTED ABOUT 2:30PM (CENTRAL TIME) TO FINAL DESTINATION. ARRIVED AT FINAL DESTINATION ABOUT 4PM (CENTRAL TIME) AND PROCEEDED TO DO SEVERAL PASSES ON A PRIVATE GRASS FIELD (OFF AIRPORT) TO ASSESS LANDING SAFELY. AFTER MY THIRD PASS I HAD DECIDED ON WHAT SEEM TO BE VERY STABLE AND RELATIVELY FLAT SURFACE. I COMMITTED TO THE LANDING AND AND SETUP FOR A SLOW AND STABLE STOL APPROACH, AT TOUCHDOWN AIR SPEED WAS ABOUT 30-35MPH AND TOUCHED DOWN, JUST SECONDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN WE HIT SOMETHING HARD THAT LAUNCHED AS BACK INTO THE AIR ABOUT 5-10 FEET AND ABRUPTLY HIT NOSE FIRST AND ROLLED FORWARD ENDING UPSIDE DOWN. WE SAFELY EXITED THE PLANE AND GOT CLEAR. AFTER SETTLING DOWN FOR A FEW MINUTES AND MAKING SURE PASSENGER AND MYSELF WERE SAFE. I REALIZED THAT WE HAD HIT A BERM THAT WAS COVERED IN GRASS AND COULD NOT SEE THE CONTOUR FROM THE AIR. I NEVER SAW THE BERM EVEN AT TOUCHDOWN OR ROLL-OUT. THE BERM COLLAPSED THE FRONT LANDING GEAR AND CAUSED US TO NOSE INTO THE GROUND AND FLIP.