- Date
- June 28, 2003, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Taunton, MA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2030UMaule M-4-220C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Boston FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030628018089A
- Case key
- 57470
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 and the CFI's delayed remedial action.
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
As the tail-wheeled equipped airplane touched down, with the commercial pilot at the controls, it began to drift left of centerline. The certified flight instructor (CFI) instructed the commercial pilot to use right aileron to correct the situation, which the commercial pilot responded, "I've got it; I've got it; I've got it." The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and onto the grass. The CFI "stepped firmly" on the right rudder in an effort to straighten the airplane; however, the momentum was still pulling the airplane to the left. Without the CFI's instruction, the commercial pilot added full power, followed immediately by a reduction of power by the CFI. The airplane continued to the left, and the commercial pilot added about one-quarter to one-half power from where the CFI had set it. The airplane then rolled over, and came to rest in a ditch. The commercial pilot added that the accident could have been prevented by "earlier recovery, more experience by pilot and instructor."
Factual narrative
On June 28, 2003, at 1100 eastern daylight time, a Maule M-4-220C, N2030U, was substantially damaged while landing at the Taunton Municipal Airport (TAN), Taunton, Massachusetts. The certificated flight instructor (CFI), certificated commercial pilot, and one passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from the Barnstable Municipal-Boardman/Polando Field (HYA), Hyannis, Massachusetts. The instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the CFI, the commercial pilot was at the controls of the tail-wheeled airplane during the accident flight. As the airplane touched down on runway 30, a 3,500-foot long, 75-foot wide, asphalt runway, it began to drift left of centerline. The CFI instructed the commercial pilot to use right aileron to correct the situation, which the commercial pilot responded, "I've got it; I've got it; I've got it." The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and onto the grass. The left wheel then began to slow, pulling the airplane to the left, and dipping the left wing. The CFI "stepped firmly" on the right rudder in an effort to straighten the airplane; however, the momentum was still pulling the airplane to the left. Without the CFI's instruction, the commercial pilot added full power, followed immediately by a reduction of power by the CFI. The airplane continued to the left, and the commercial pilot added about one-quarter to one-half power from where the CFI had set it. The airplane then rolled over, and came to rest in a ditch.
The commercial pilot added that the accident could have been prevented by "earlier recovery, more experience by pilot and instructor."
The winds recorded at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from variable at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2030U
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-220C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2026C
- Airframe hours
- 3,171
- Engine
- Franklin 6A350-C1R, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Melville
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2003 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- HYA · Hyannis, MA
- Destination
- TAN · Taunton, MA
- Airport
- TAN · Taunton Municipal Airport, runway 30, 3,500 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 3, 2003
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 25 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 3, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,300 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TAN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.