Maule MT-7 accident near Swansboro, NC

On March 24, 2020, a Maule MT-7 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Swansboro, NC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

March 24, 2020

Place

Swansboro, NC

Aircraft

Maule MT-7 · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

34.417°N, 77.034°W

NTSB ID

20200324X34735

Official records · ERA20LA134

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Cherry Point Marine Corps ATC Audio File: Audio recording (WAV), on ntsb.gov
• NTSB Memo For Record - Summary Of ATC Communications: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 23, 2020, at 2103 eastern daylight time, a Maule MT-7-235 airplane, N899ZZ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in the Atlantic Ocean near Swansboro, North Carolina. The pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. According to fuel transaction records and the manager of Orangeburg Municipal Airport (OGB), Orangeburg, South Carolina, the airplane and pilot were based at OGB. At 1820, the pilot added about 40 gallons of 100-low lead fuel to the accident airplane. Review of radar and flight track data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the pilot departed OGB at 1835 and subsequently landed at Mount Pleasant Regional Airport-Faison Field (LRO), Mount Pleasant, South Carolina at 1905. The pilot then filed an instrument flight rules flight plan and departed to Michael J. Smith Field Airport (MRH), Beaufort, North Carolina at 1950. During this stop-over, the pilot picked up the passenger. The pilot was in contact with air traffic control (ATC) after he departed LRO, and radar data showed that the airplane climbed to 5,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and proceeded directly on course to MRH after takeoff. The route of flight was primarily over the Atlantic Ocean, and the course and altitude showed little deviation until about 2102, when the flight track showed a right turn to the southeast. The airplane continued in a rapidly descending right turning spiral until radar contact was lost. The last radar point at 2103:

Probable cause

The airplane’s turning descent into water while enroute in night instrument meteorological conditions for reasons that could not be determined.

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Browse: North Carolina · Maule aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.