20210925017369A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Maule MX-7-180A · Elk River, ID · September 25, 2021

Date: September 25, 2021 · 14:09 local
Place: Elk River, ID
Airport: Elk River Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N31876
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR21LA361
Reported as: Maule MX-7-180A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 648 total269 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N31876Registered now · Maule MX-7-180AS/N 20045C Airframe modelMaule MX-7-180A

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.

During takeoff from a rough runway the airplane's left main landing gear caught a rut causing the airplane to swerve left. The pilot was unable to correct for the loss of control. The airplane then exited the runway and impacted a metal pole causing substantial damage to the left wing tip area. The pilot was 12 years out of currency and not medically qualified.

As the FAA filed it

DURING TAKEOFF FROM A ROUGH RUNWAY THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR CAUGHT A RUT CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO SWERVE LEFT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT FOR THE LOSS OF CONTROL. THE AIRPLANE THEN EXITED THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED A METAL POLE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING TIP AREA. THE PILOT WAS 12 YEARS OUT OF CURRENCY AND NOT MEDICALLY QUALIFIED.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB WPR21LA361Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportElk River, IDThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a fence.Sep 25, 2021 · Substantial damage