- Date
- September 15, 2006, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Ponca, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N143RMMaule MT-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Little Rock, AR
- FAA report
- 20060915018989A
- Case key
- 64605
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 improper flare resulting in a hard landing.
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 2,129-hour commercial pilot executed a straight-in approach to his private airstrip. On final approach, the pilot configured the airplane with full flaps, nose-trimmed-up, and maintained 60 knots. The pilot reported that the airplane landed hard on the 1,200-foot long by 60-foot wide private grass airstrip. The tricycle gear equipped airplane bounced and became airborne after the hard landing. During the second touchdown, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over, subsequently coming to rest near the center of the airstrip, in the inverted position. There was no fire and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane unassisted. The first touchdown point was reported at a point 120 feet beyond the landing threshold, with a second touchdown point found to be 110 feet beyond the initial touchdown point. The pilot reported clear skies, and the wind from 130 degrees at 10 knots, and added that the grass runway was "mowed, smooth, and normal." The pilot reported that total time on the airframe was 70 hours and he had accumulated a total of 82 hours in the same make and model.
Factual narrative
The 2,129-hour commercial pilot executed a straight-in approach to his private airstrip. On final approach, the pilot had the airplane configured with full flaps, with nose-trimmed-up, while maintaining 60 knots. The pilot reported that the airplane landed hard on the 1,200-foot long by 60-foot wide private grass airstrip. The tricycle gear equipped airplane bounced and became airborne after the hard landing. During the second touchdown, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over, subsequently coming to rest near the center of the airstrip, in the inverted position. There was no fire and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane unassisted. The first touchdown point was reported at a point 120 feet beyond the landing threshold, with a second touchdown point found to be 110 feet beyond the initial touchdown point. The pilot reported clear skies, and the wind from 130 degrees at 10 knots, and added that the grass runway was "mowed, smooth, and normal." The pilot reported that total time on the airframe was 70 hours and he had accumulated a total of 82 hours in the same make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N143RM
- Reported as
- Maule MT-7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18094C
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-W1A5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael E. Mills
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2006
- Departed
- KTKX · Kennet, MO
- Destination
- Ponca, AR
- Airport
- UNK · Private Airstrip, runway UNK, 1,200 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,129 total · 82 in this make and model · 2,017 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HRO, 16 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.