- Date
- March 1, 2017, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Live Oak, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N600XXMaule MX7
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170301001829A
- Case key
- 94805
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 stabilized approach and his subsequent incorrect brake application during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose-over.
Findings · 4
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while on base for his private grass airstrip, he noticed he was high, so he added flaps to increase his descent. He added that, on final, the airspeed was a little fast and during the landing, he flared the airplane "a little high." After touchdown, the pilot applied the brakes, but the airplane did not respond, so he applied "a little more brake"; subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that he should have performed a go-around instead of attempting to "salvage the landing."
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that while on base for his private grass airstrip, he noticed he was high, so he added flaps to increase his descent. He reported that on final the airspeed was a little fast and during the landing, he flared the airplane "a little high". The pilot further reported that after touchdown, he applied the brakes, but the airplane did not respond, so he applied "a little more brake"; subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that he should have performed a go-around instead of attempting to "salvage the landing".
Aircraft
- Registration
- N600XX
- Reported as
- Maule MX7 (180A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20037C
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 1,162.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 2016
- Departed
- SMF · Sacramento, CA
- Destination
- N/A · Live Oak, CA
- Airport
- N/A · Private Airstrip, runway N, 1,200 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS, 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
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 968 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.35 inHg
- Observed at
- KMYV, 13 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 23, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 570 KB 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 N600XX · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.