On January 19, 2001, a Maule M-7-235C (registration N246SV) was involved in an aviation accident near Durango, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in the aircraft exiting the runway. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A tailwheel-equipped aircraft departed the runway side during landing roll due to loss of directional control in a light crosswind, with no injuries reported.
What happened
The accident occurred during the landing roll phase of a cross-country flight. As the pilot completed the landing maneuver, directional control was lost. Consequently, the tailwheel-configured aircraft departed the side of the runway.
At the time of the incident, wind conditions consisted of a 5-knot crosswind. The pilot had accumulated approximately 24 hours of experience in this specific aircraft type, with a total flight time of 28 hours. Notably, the pilot's recent flight experience prior to this event was primarily in airline transport category aircraft.
Findings
Contributing factors included the loss of directional control during the landing roll and the operational environment of a crosswind. The pilot's limited recent experience in tailwheel-configured aircraft may have influenced the outcome, given the transition from large transport-class operations.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in the aircraft exiting the runway.