- 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.
On this page
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.
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.