Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition and his failure to maintain directional control.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On November 24, 1997, at 1352 hours Pacific standard time, a Maule M-7-235B, N611BY, ground looped and nosed over at the San Martin, California, airport while practicing touch-and-go landings on runway 32. The aircraft was substantially damaged, and the pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal local flight that departed the Reid-Hillview airport, San Jose, California, at 1300 and was scheduled to terminate at the same airport the same day. No flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that he lost control of the aircraft on a crosswind takeoff. In his written statement the pilot stated that the winds were from 270 degrees at 10 knots.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector from the San Jose, California, Flight Standards District Office, examined the aircraft and reported that no mechanical malfunctions were noted.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX98LA044