- Date
- January 23, 2015, 15:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N773MCMaule MX 7-180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150123002939A
- Case key
- 90689
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 did not maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
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 maneuvered the airplane to land and noted moderate gusting wind from the left. During the landing, the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind; the airplane began a left turn and then a hard right turn. The pilot lost control of the airplane and it exited the left side of the runway. The pilot advanced the throttle to avoid a ditch but the right wheel impacted the ditch. The left wing then struck the ground which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot maneuvered the airplane to land and noted moderate gusting wind from the left. During the landing, the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind; the airplane began a left turn and then a hard right turn. The pilot lost control of the airplane and it exited the left side of the runway. The pilot advanced the throttle to avoid a ditch but the right wheel impacted the ditch. The left wing then struck the ground which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N773MC
- Reported as
- Maule MX 7-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11019C
- Built
- 1986
- Airframe hours
- 860
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C1F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald Pfiester
- Registered owner
- Donald Pfiester
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 21, 2014
- Departed
- FTW · Fort Worth, TX
- Destination
- GTU · Georgetown, TX
- Airport
- GTU · Georgetown Muni, runway 36, 5,004 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 27, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,674 total · 14 in this make and model · 5,117 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KGTU
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 9, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 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.