Maule MX-7-180C accident near Willits, CA
On May 30, 2022, a Maule MX-7-180C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Willits, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 30, 2022
- Place
- Willits, CA
- Aircraft
- Maule MX-7-180C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.498°N, 123.194°W
- NTSB ID
- 20220601105165
Official records · WPR22LA192
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 30, 2022, about 0840 Pacific daylight time, a Maule MX-7-180C airplane, N1043B, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Willits, California. The pilot was fatally injured and the passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The passenger stated that they departed Sonoma, California, about 0730 and flew directly to the destination, a private dirt airstrip. After an uneventful flight, while approaching the runway from the southwest, the pilot informed her that he may need to perform a go-around. While landing to the east, the airplane contacted the runway hard and bounced about midfield and the pilot immediately added power to abort the landing. The airplane lifted off the ground near the end of the runway and transitioned into a climb. As the airplane crested a group of 60 to 100-ft-tall trees on either side of them, the passenger observed the pilot curse while pulling or rotating a knob on the instrument panel, which she identified as the throttle control. The airplane then abruptly turned left and descended in a nose-down attitude. The passenger thought that the airplane may have leveled out, possibly in a left-wing-low attitude, before impact. The airplane was subsequently consumed by a postcrash fire.Photograph 1: Accident site PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft-helicopter and private privileges for airplane single-engine land. The pilot received his airplane single-engine land rating on May 1
Probable cause
An uncommanded descent during a go-around maneuver for undetermined reasons.
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Browse: California · Maule aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
