Maule MX-7-235 N44UG
14 April 2003 · Watkins, Colorado, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 April 2003 at about 00:30 local time, a Maule MX-7-235 registered N44UG was involved in an accident near Watkins, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Watkins, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Front Range (FTG)
- Coordinates
- 39.7853, -104.5431
- Aircraft
- Maule MX-7-235
- Registration
- N44UG
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Parker → Watkins
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN03LA080
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing roll out. Contributing factors were the unlocked tailwheel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot wanted to practice crosswind landings. He made a normal crosswind approach and landing on runway 17. The wind at Denver International Airport, located 10 miles to the northwest, was from 110 degrees at 12 knots. Upon touchdown, the pilot held full left aileron and full aft elevator and maintained directional control with the rudder. As the airplane rolled out, it began drifting to the right, so the pilot reduced right rudder input. The nose "swung left quickly" into the wind and the pilot applied full right rudder. The airplane ground looped to the left causing substantial damage to the airplane's wings and propeller. The pilot said he suspected that the tail wheel was or had become unlocked. Using the pilot's wind estimate and the recorded wind at Denver International Airport, the computed crosswind component was approximately 7 and 10 knots, respectively. According to the Maule Aircraft Company, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the MX-7-235 is 14 knots.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Maule MX-7 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jul 2003 | Maule MX-7-235 | East Brady, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 2003 | Maule MX-7-235 | Plummer, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2003 | Maule MX-7-160 | Eleuthera, Bahamas | Bonnie L. Schubert | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2004 | Maule MX-7-235 | Hermiston, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 2004 | Maule MX-7-235 | Greenville, Florida, United States | Stephen D. Rathert | No injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 2004 | Maule MX-7-235 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 2003 | Aerostar RX-8 | Snowmass Villag, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 2003 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Delta, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2003 | Beechcraft S35 | Colorado Spring, Colorado, United States | Peter J. Vercouteren | No injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 2003 | Cessna 172S | Erie, Colorado, United States | Specialty Flight Training, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2003 | Beechcraft E-90 | Kremmling, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2003 | Cessna 172P | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |