- Date
- October 1, 2000, 16:27 local (22:27 UTC)
- Place
- Ogden, UT
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31078Maule M-7-235B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001001015869A
- Case key
- 50395
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 a proper descent rate during landing flare/touchdown. A factor was the tail wheel failure due to overload.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said that during the landing, the tail wheel 'failed.' The airplane then ground looped and departed the right side of the runway. The pilot was asked why the tail wheel failed, but he did not respond to inquiries. According to the FAA inspector who examined the airplane, he saw no evidence of preimpact malfunction or failure. He said it appeared that the pilot had made a hard landing, and that the tail wheel failed as a result of overload forces.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 2000, at approximately 1627 mountain daylight time, a Maule M-7-235B, N31078, registered to and operated by Chase and Baxter Investments, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing at Ogden-Hinckley Airport, Ogden, Utah. The airline transport certificated pilot and his three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Elko, Nevada, at approximately 1500.
According to the pilot's accident report, the airplane landed on runway 25. During the landing roll, the tail wheel "failed." The airplane then ground looped and departed the right side of the runway, tipping on its left side and collapsing the left main landing gear. The left wing spar was also damaged.
The pilot was asked to explain why the tail wheel failed. He did not respond to the request. According to the FAA inspector who examined the airplane, he saw no evidence of preimpact malfunction or failure. He said it appeared that the pilot had made a hard landing, and that the tail wheel had failed as a result of overload forces.
The pilot was also asked for the seating arrangement He indicated his son-in-law occupied the left front seat.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31078
- Reported as
- Maule M-7-235B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23004C
- Airframe hours
- 350
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-W1A5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Chase And Baxter Investments
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2000 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- EKO · Elko, NV
- Destination
- OGD
- Airport
- OGD · Ogden-Hinckley, runway 25, 5,600 × 150 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
- 62
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 15,550 total · 550 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OGD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.