- Date
- September 15, 2018, 18:00 local (Sep 16, 2018, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Grass Valley, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N760ACMaule M7
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180915016319A
- Case key
- 98360
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 the landing roll.
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, during the second approach to the unimproved canyon airstrip in moderate turbulence, he felt that the groundspeed was faster than normal and that he there was a tailwind, but he reduced power to idle and landed the airplane. About 300 ft into the ground roll, at 35 mph, the airplane veered left. He applied right rudder and moderate braking, but the airplane exited the airstrip to the left, and its left main landing gear struck a pile of rocks that were painted white and used to mark the edge of the runway. The left main landing gear separated from the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and left aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation system about 16 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 13 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot was landing to the south.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the second approach to the unimproved canyon airstrip in moderate turbulence he felt that the groundspeed was faster than normal and that he had a tailwind, but he reduced power to idle, and landed. About 300 ft into the ground roll, at 35 mph, the airplane veered left. He applied right rudder and moderate braking, but the airplane exited the airstrip to the left. The airplane's left main landing gear struck a pile of rocks that were painted white and used to mark the edge of the runway. The left main landing gear separated from the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and left aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation system about 16 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 13 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot was landing to the south.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N760AC
- Reported as
- Maule M7 (260C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30052C
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 969
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 27, 2018
- Departed
- 4S2 · Hood River, OR
- Destination
- Grass Valley, OR
- Equipment
- None
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 10, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,315 total · 1,120 in this make and model · 1,315 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 13 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KDLS, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 12, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.