Maule MX7 N897DC accident near Greenville, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model airplane.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane stated that he made a three-point landing on the asphalt runway. After touchdown, the airplane began to pull to the right and the pilot corrected by applying left rudder. The airplane immediately turned "hard left,” collapsing the right main landing gear. The right wing impacted the runway and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures. The pilot had received a tailwheel endorsement the day prior to the accident, and reported 5 hours of flight time in the accident airplane. He also stated to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he had received limited exposure to operating the tailwheel-equipped airplane on hard-surface runways, as his tailwheel flight instruction was conducted mostly from turf runways.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10CA227 for the full record.