- Date
- July 25, 2009, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Abernathy, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N11ENMaule M-4-220C
- Defining event
- Landing: Aircraft structural failure
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090725012909A
- Case key
- 74523
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the fuselage's tube structure due to corrosion during a hard landing.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot with one passenger on-board the airplane was practicing landings to familiarize the passenger with the airplane. During one of the landings, the airplane landed "firm." After noticing added noise in the cabin and the "seats being jarred” they taxied back to the hangar. The pilot reported that a fuselage tube had failed due to a "pre-existing weakened condition." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who examined the airplane reported that the fuselage tube displayed evidence of corrosion.
Factual narrative
The pilot with one passenger on-board the airplane was practicing landings to familiarize the passenger with the airplane. During one of the landings, the airplane landed "firm." After noticing added noise in the cabin and the "seats being jarred” they taxied back to the hangar. The pilot reported that a fuselage tube had failed due to a "pre-existing weakened condition." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who examined the airplane reported that the fuselage tube displayed evidence of corrosion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11EN
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-220C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2037C
- Airframe hours
- 2,337
- Engine
- Franklin 6A-350SER, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Osky Deuce LLC
- Registered owner
- Osky Deuce LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 25, 2009
- Departed
- F49 · Slaton Muncipal, TX
- Destination
- F83 · Abernathy, TX
- Airport
- F83 · Abernathy Airport, runway 17, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 21, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,760 total · 116 in this make and model · 1,760 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 743 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.