Maule MXT-7-180 N4008J accident near La Porte, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for an emergency landing following a partial loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.

NTSB analysis

Just after departing from runway 5 on an aerial survey flight, the pilot announced on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency that the engine was running rough and he was returning to the airport. Another pilot flying in the airport traffic pattern reported that the accident airplane appeared too high and fast to land on runway 23; shortly thereafter, the accident pilot transmitted that the engine was producing power and that he was landing on runway 5. The witness saw the accident airplane subsequently enter a left base for runway 5 at low altitude and stated that the airplane appeared slow. The airplane overshot the runway, banked steeply, stalled, and entered a 1/2 turn spin before impacting the ground. Two other pilots who were flying in the area reported similar observations of the accident sequence, and ADS-B track data was consistent with their statements.

The airplane impacted the ground and ground scars were consistent with a nose-low, right wing down attitude. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. Examinations of the airframe, engine, and fuel system did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the development of serious carburetor icing, which was consistent with the pilot’s announcement of a rough running engine. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for an emergency landing following a partial loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and impact with terrain.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23FA164 for the full record.