No fatalities

16 Sep 2018: Maule M7 260C — Grass Valley, OR

Grass Valley, OR, United States

On 16 Sep 2018, a Maule M7 260C was involved in an aviation accident near Grass Valley, OR. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A tailwheel airplane veered left during landing at an unimproved canyon airstrip, striking a rock pile and sustaining substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures.

Accident Details

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the second approach to an unimproved canyon airstrip in moderate turbulence, he felt the groundspeed was faster than normal and that a tailwind was present. He reduced power to idle and landed. Approximately 300 feet into the ground roll, at a speed of 35 mph, the airplane veered left. The pilot applied right rudder and moderate braking, but the airplane exited the airstrip to the left.

Damage

The airplane's left main landing gear struck a pile of rocks that were painted white and used to mark the edge of the runway. The left main landing gear separated from the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and left aileron.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

An automated weather observation system located about 16 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, around the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 13 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot was landing to the south.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation