Maule MX7 N3156K

Summary

On 11 January 2017 at about 21:40 local time, a Maule MX7 registered N3156K was involved in an accident near Carthage, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 January 2017 at 21:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Carthage, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

36.2544, -85.9692

Aircraft

Maule MX7

Registration

N3156K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1995

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lebanon → Carthage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA083

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for gusting tailwind conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during the landing flare.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was landing on his 1,100 ft-long private grass airstrip. He set up for a landing to the north due to obstacles and the runway's upslope in that direction. A witness reported that the wind was "blowing hard," gusting, and variable at the time of the landing. The witness described the approach as normal until just before touchdown, when the left wing dropped and the right wing rose. The airplane then collided with the ground and came to rest on its nose with structural damage to the left wing and forward fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures before the accident, and the witness reported that the engine sounded normal during the event. Recorded weather information from nearby airports indicated wind from the south; one airport reported gusts of up to 29 knots. The pilot subsequently reported that the accident was the result of wind gusts that he had not anticipated.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.