- Date
- September 11, 2010, 09:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Willows, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6138YMaule MX7
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100911050589A
- Case key
- 77264
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 gusty crosswind condition and his failure to maintain directional control.
Findings · 3
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 stated that a gust of wind blew the airplane to the left of the runway as he was landing. He tried to abort the landing; however, the airplane barely lifted off the ground. The airplane continued to the left off of the runway and landed hard about 100 feet from the runway and ground looped. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector examined the airplane; he established flight control continuity from the cockpit to the rudder and elevators. The rudder pedals operated smoothly with no restrictions. The main landing gear wheels and tail wheel were also inspected with no mechanical abnormalities noted.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that a gust of wind blew the airplane to the left of the runway as he was landing. He tried to abort the landing; however, the airplane barely lifted off the ground. The airplane continued to the left off of the runway and landed hard about 100 feet from the runway and ground looped. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector examined the airplane; he established flight control continuity from the cockpit to the rudder and elevators. The rudder pedals operated smoothly with no restrictions. The main landing gear wheels and tail wheel were also inspected with no mechanical abnormalities noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6138Y
- Reported as
- Maule MX7 (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11061C
- Airframe hours
- 1,354
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C1F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 12, 2010 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- GOO · Grass Valley, NV
- Destination
- WLW · Willows, CA
- Airport
- WLW · Willows-Glenn County Airport, runway 16, 4,125 × 100 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 7, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,481 total · 484 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- CIC, 27 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 795 KB 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.
Other investigations on N6138Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.