- Date
- January 18, 2009, 14:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Akron, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1052UMaule MX-7-180C
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090118002759A
- Case key
- 73252
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 directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the crosswind.
Findings · 3
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 stated that he overflew his private airfield prior to landing and noted that the wind was out of the west and "gusty". The wind was estimated by the pilot to be between 12 and 14 knots with gusts up to 20 knots. He elected to land on runway one without flaps and maintained an airspeed between 5 and 10 mph higher than normal due to the gusty conditions. During the flare, he was twice lifted by wind gusts before finally settling on the runway in a nose high attitude just left of centerline. The airplane began to yaw to the left and the pilot attempted to correct with the application of right brake. The airplane continued to the left until the left wing contacted a windsock, damaging the wing and causing the airplane to ground-loop around the windsock. The airplane came to rest after the right wing and elevator contacted the ground.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Maule MX-180C stated that he overflew his private airfield prior to landing and noted that the wind was out of the west and "gusty". The wind was estimated by the pilot to be between 12 and 14 knots with gusts up to 20 knots. He elected to land on runway one without flaps and maintained an airspeed between 5 and 10 mph higher than normal due to the gusty conditions. During the flare, he was twice lifted by wind gusts before finally settling on the runway in a nose high attitude just left of centerline. The airplane began to yaw to the left and the pilot attempted to correct with the application of right brake. The airplane continued to the left until the left wing contacted a windsock damaging the wing and causing the airplane to ground-loop around the windsock. The airplane came to rest after the right wing and elevator contacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1052U
- Reported as
- Maule MX-7-180C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28007C
- Airframe hours
- 1,533
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C1F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Strickland Thomas M
- Registered owner
- Strickland Thomas M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 18, 2008
- Departed
- TCL · Tuscaloosa, AL
- Destination
- AL03 · Akron, AL
- Airport
- AL03 · Strickland-Smalley Field, runway 01, 2,000 × 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 3, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 474 total · 55 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- TCL, 22 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.