WPR12CA215

NTSB accident investigation · Maule M-7-260 · Brigham City, UT · May 6, 2012

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
May 6, 2012, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
Place
Brigham City, UT
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N7ZFMaule M-7-260
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report July 18, 2012
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20120506007279A
Case key
83678

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing with a gusting crosswind.

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.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedMaule M-7-260: 3 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotMaule M-7-260: 3 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Wind: crosswindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Response/compensationMaule M-7-260: 3 casesAll aircraft: 1,008 cases

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

According to the pilot, after a 1-hour local flight, he performed a flyover of the airport and noted that the windsocks at both ends of the runway indicated calm wind. The pilot stated that he flew a normal left pattern. As he turned the airplane onto the base leg, he checked to make sure the airplane was configured for landing. On final approach, he looked down the runway and determined that no crosswind correction was needed. The landing flare and touchdown were normal. However, on the landing roll, the tail veered to the right. The pilot increased power in an attempt to go around, but the airplane was already turning around, and the right wing was lifting. He reduced the power and attempted to maintain airplane control, but the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway and came to a stop. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noted over the next few minutes gusting wind conditions from the north, west, and northwest between 5 and 10 knots. The pilot further stated that he has experience landing in gusty wind conditions, but on the day of the accident the crosswind was variable and unpredictable. The airplane sustained damage to the landing gear, wing tip, and aileron.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, he and a passenger flew in the local area for about an hour before landing at the accident airport. They performed a fly-over of the airport and noted that the windsocks at both ends of the runway were "hanging straight down." The pilot stated that he flew a normal left-hand pattern. As he turned the airplane onto the base leg, he checked to make sure the airplane was configured for landing. On final approach, he looked down the runway and determined that no crosswind correction was needed. The landing flare and touchdown were normal. However, on the landing rollout, the tail veered to the right. The pilot increased power in an attempt to go-around, but the airplane was already turning around, and the right wing was lifting. He reduced the power and attempted corrective flight control input in order to maintain airplane control, but the right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane veered off the runway and came to a stop. The pilot reported that the wind at the airport was light and variable, but gusting to 10 knots. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noted over the next few minutes gusting wind conditions from the north, west, and northwest between 5 and 10 knots. The pilot further stated that he has experience landing in gusty wind conditions, but on the day of the accident the crosswind was variable and unpredictable, with no warning.

Aircraft

Registration
N7ZF
Reported as
Maule M-7-260
Category
Airplane
Serial number
26012C
Airframe hours
528
Engine
Lycoming IO-540-V4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · December 17, 2011 · 39 hours before
Departed
BMC · Brigham City, UT
Destination
BMC · Brigham City, UT
Airport
BMC · Brigham City Airport, runway 34, 7,501 × 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
59
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
January 19, 2012
Seat
Left
Flight hours
816 total · 43 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
340° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
59 °F, dew point 28 °F
Altimeter
30.20 inHg
Observed at
LGU, 17 nm away

Docket · 1

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.

Other investigations on N7ZF · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.