What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot of a Maule MXT-7-180 reported partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from runway 05 at La Porte Municipal Airport and attempted to fly a modified left downwind to land on the same runway. After overflying runway 23, the aircraft attempted a tight left turn to land runway 05, stalled, and impacted the ground roughly 300 feet short of the approach end of the runway in a nose down and right wing low attitude. The aircraft bounced once, slid approximately 100’, and sustained serious damage to nearly every major component.
The subsequent investigation revealed following information:
• The temperature and dew point at the time of takeoff (14 degrees & 9 degrees) were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice
• The aircraft spent approximately 10 minutes in the runup area
• The aircraft did not have the carburetor heat on at the time of impact
• The aircraft was trimmed for takeoff, and the flaps were set at full
• The engine air filter was approximately 75% clogged
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT OF A MAULE MXT-7-180 REPORTED PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 05 AT LA PORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED TO FLY A MODIFIED LEFT DOWNWIND TO LAND ON THE SAME RUNWAY. AFTER OVERFLYING RUNWAY 23, THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED A TIGHT LEFT TURN TO LAND RUNWAY 05, STALLED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND ROUGHLY 300 FEET SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY IN A NOSE DOWN AND RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ONCE, SLID APPROXIMATELY 100’, AND SUSTAINED SERIOUS DAMAGE TO NEARLY EVERY MAJOR COMPONENT.
THE SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
• THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF (14 DEGREES & 9 DEGREES) WERE CONDUCIVE TO THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE
• THE AIRCRAFT SPENT APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES IN THE RUNUP AREA
• THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE THE CARBURETOR HEAT ON AT THE TIME OF IMPACT
• THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRIMMED FOR TAKEOFF, AND THE FLAPS WERE SET AT FULL
• THE ENGINE AIR FILTER WAS APPROXIMATELY 75% CLOGGED
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.