Aircraft Information
The accident involved a Maule MX-7-160, registration N3110J, manufactured in 1994 (serial number 19031C). It was powered by a single Lycoming O-360-C4F piston engine.
History of the Flight
The pilot, who held a Commercial Pilot's License issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (USA) and had 1,185 total flying hours (620 on type), planned a private flight from a privately operated strip at Fledmyre Field, Forfar, Angus, to Meikle Eindovie, a location near Alford, Aberdeenshire. The pilot selected Meikle Endovie from the Garmin GPSMap 496 airfield database, where it was listed as a microlight/sports airfield site with pre-entered coordinates. The flight en-route was conducted at 3,000 ft. Upon reaching the GPS-indicated position overhead Meikle Endovie, the pilot could not identify a landing area. He descended to 600 ft above ground level, deployed landing flap, and circled the position indicated by the GPS. After three orbits, while turning to the north, the pilot noticed the vertical speed indicator showing a high rate of descent. He applied power and attempted to climb but could not clear steeply rising terrain. The aircraft struck a wall and a fence, flipped inverted, and sustained substantial damage beyond economic repair. Both occupants, wearing lap straps with a diagonal shoulder strap, were not injured and evacuated through side windows. The Emergency Locator Transmitter activated, alerting emergency services.
Accident Site
The accident site was located on open ground between two hills approximately 1.6 nautical miles south of Alford and 1.4 nautical miles southwest of Meikle Endovie Farm.
Meteorological Conditions
The pilot reported a southerly wind of 25 mph in the accident area. A Met Office observation at Cairn Gorm summit (30 nm southwest) at 1800 hrs recorded a surface wind from the south-southeast at 11 kt. The 1820 hrs METAR for Aberdeen Airport (15 nm east) indicated a surface wind from 160° at 7 kt, CAVOK, and no significant weather.
Airfield Information
Meikle Eindovie, the intended destination, is not a recognised airfield. The AAIB contacted the GPS manufacturer, who confirmed that Meikle Endovie is not in the current database.
Discussion
The pilot reported that the accident occurred while manoeuvring at low level in search of his destination. The surface wind was from the south, and the aircraft was on a northerly heading when it struck the ground. The pilot concluded that the accident was caused by a mountain wave encountered while flying at low level on the lee side of the Grampian Mountains. Recent analysis of general aviation accidents in the USA has identified manoeuvring at low level as a high risk phase of flight. The destination airfield does not appear to exist.