- Date
- March 17, 2011, 09:26 local (15:26 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4550RMaule M-4-220C
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110317003889A
- Case key
- 78571
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 pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 2
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 reported that the tailwheel airplane began to "pitch left" during landing. The pilot made crosswind corrections and could not keep the wings level. The left wing touched the runway and the airplane continued forward and then yawed to the right. The pilot was unable to correct the yaw with rudder application and engine power and the airplane exited the runway. The airplane's left landing gear folded when it contacted the terrain off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its left wing spar. The pilot indicated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the tailwheel airplane began to "pitch left" during landing. The pilot made crosswind corrections and could not maintain wings level. The left wing touched the runway and the airplane continued straight. The airplane subsequently yawed to the right. The pilot was unable to correct the yaw with rudder application and engine power, and the airplane exited the runway. The airplane's left landing gear folded when it contacted the terrain off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its left wing spar. The pilot did not indicate that there were any airplane mechanical malfunctions prior to the airplane exiting the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4550R
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-220C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2017C
- Airframe hours
- 1,716
- Engine
- Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 2010
- Departed
- AEG · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- AEG · Albuquerque, NM
- Airport
- AEG · Double Eagle II Airport, runway 22, 7,398 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 7, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 226 total · 6 in this make and model · 154 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- AEG
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 MB 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.
Other investigations on N4550R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.