- Date
- March 15, 2002, 13:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Montague, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7ZFMaule M-7-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 54374
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition and failure to maintain directional control.
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 tail wheel equipped airplane ground looped during the landing roll. According to the pilot, the landing was a three point on runway 17, with no apparent adverse wind conditions or turbulence. The airplane rolled straight ahead for approximately 200 feet and then commenced an immediate uncommanded left turn, which the pilot said was not correctable with brake or rudder. The airplane ultimately ground looped to the left resulting in considerable damage to the airplane. The reported winds at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 310 degrees at 5 knots.
Factual narrative
On March 15, 2002, at 1320 Pacific standard time, a Maule M-7-260, N7ZF, ground looped during landing at Siskiyou County Airport, Montague, California. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91 and departed from Montague-Yreka Rohrer Airport at 1245. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, he entered the traffic pattern for a landing on runway 17. He said the approach was normal, in the slot, and stabilized with no drift correction. The landing was three point, on the runway numbers, with no apparent adverse wind conditions or turbulence. The airplane rolled out straight ahead for approximately 200 feet, then commenced an immediate uncommanded left turn, which was not correctable with brake or rudder, and a ground loop resulted.
The pilot reported that he accident could have been prevented by deactivation of the parking brake system, which he suspects was the reason why the airplane swerved during the landing. According to the pilot, as he learned from a maintenance facility, the deactivation could be done by "two separate and distinct brake pedal checks during landing checklist run, to check for hard pedal or pedals." He also stated that the ground loop was not pilot induced, nor was it likely that it was caused by erratic winds or gusts.
The reported winds at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 310 degrees at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7ZF
- Reported as
- Maule M-7-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26012c
- Airframe hours
- 85.7
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-V4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George A. Cordingly, Jr.
- Registered owner
- George A. Cordingly, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2002 · 3.7 hours before
- Departed
- 1O5 · Montague, CA
- Destination
- SIY · Montague, CA
- Airport
- SIY · Siskiyou, runway 17, 7,484 × 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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,900 total · 86 in this make and model · 11,700 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- SIY
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 489 KB in all.
Other investigations on N7ZF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.