- Date
- March 31, 2002, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bennington, VT
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N711JRMaule M-5-180C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20020331004839A
- Case key
- 54451
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 while landing. A factor in this accident was the crosswind condition.
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 airplane was landing on runway 31, a 3,704 foot-long, 75 foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot said the airport's wind sock indicated a 90 degree left crosswind, at an estimated speed of 10 miles per hour, and after a normal touchdown, the airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the drift; however, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and flipped over. Winds reported at the airport, about 30 minutes after the accident, were from 20 degrees at 6 knots.
Factual narrative
On March 31, 2002, about 1030 eastern standard time, a Maule M-5-180C, N711JR, was substantially damaged while landing at the William H. Morse State Airport (DDH), Bennington, Vermont. The certificated private pilot sustained a serious injury, and the passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed the Mount Snow Airport, West Dover, Vermont. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot said he entered the traffic pattern for runway 31, a 3,704 foot-long, 75 foot-wide, asphalt runway. He observed the airport's wind sock, which indicated a 90 degree left crosswind, at an estimated speed of 10 miles per hour. After a normal touchdown, the airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the drift; however, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and flipped over.
The pilot reported he had purchased the airplane "less than a month" prior to the accident and had accumulated about 27 hours in make and model. He further stated he did not experience any mechanical problems.
Winds reported at DDH, at 1054, were from 20 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N711JR
- Reported as
- Maule M-5-180C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8064C
- Airframe hours
- 1,041.3
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C1F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth C. Bell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 15, 2001 · 20.6 hours before
- Departed
- 4V8 · West Dover, VT
- Destination
- DDH · Bennington, VT
- Airport
- DDH · William H. Morse State Airport, runway 31, 3,704 × 75 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
- 48
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 8, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,857 total · 27 in this make and model · 1,857 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- DDH
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.