- Date
- December 13, 2007, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Key Largo, FL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N961PHMaule M-7-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 67259
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 loss of control during the landing. Contributing was the wind gust.
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 pilot of a float-equipped Maule M-7-235 noted a rain squall in the "immediate area" of his planned water landing. The pilot decided to land 1/2 mile to the northeast, into a northeast wind. Upon touchdown, a wind gust lifted the right wing with more force than the pilot could counteract. The airplane's left float submerged, then separated, along with the strut, from the wing. The airplane spun to the left, and the right wingtip struck the water. The pilot reported about 350 hours of flight time, with 100 hours in model, and 75 to 100 water landings within the previous year.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of a float-equipped Maule M-7-235, there was a rain squall in the "immediate area" of his planned water landing. The pilot decided to land 1/2 mile to the northeast, into a northeast wind. Upon touchdown, a wind gust lifted the right wing with more force than the pilot could counteract. The airplane's left float submerged, then separated, along with the strut, from the wing. The airplane spun to the left, and the right wingtip struck the water. The pilot reported about 350 hours of flight time, with 100 hours in model, and 75 to 100 water landings within the previous year.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N961PH
- Reported as
- Maule M-7-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4086C
- Airframe hours
- 486
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- George Wilson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE · Key Largo, FL
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 45° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 75 °F