Skip to content

Atlas / NTSB / DEN01LA043

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event DEN01LA043

2001-01-19 DURANGO, Colorado, United States Airport · 5CO0 None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N246SV

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

MAULE M-7-235C

Year of manufacture

2001 · 0 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING IO-540 SER (300 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20010103

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A247ED

Registrant of record

N246SV CORP TRUSTEE

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

failure by the pilot to maintain directional control of the aircraft during landing roll. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in aircraft make and model.

Factual narrative

On January 19, 2001, at 1335 mountain standard time, a Maule M-7-235C, N246SV, sustained substantial damage to the left wing when it departed the side of the runway during landing roll at Animas Airpark, Durango, Colorado. The airline transport pilot and sole occupant was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal cross country-flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Telluride, Colorado, at approximately 1305. According to the pilot, he lost directional control during landing roll and the tail wheel configured aircraft ground looped and departed the side of the runway. The reported wind at the time of the accident was 080 degrees at 5 knots and the runway being used was 01 which is 5, 010 feet in length and 50 feet in width. The runway surface was asphalt and was reported as being dry. During the excursion from the runway, the right main landing gear separated from the aircraft and the left wing strut struck runway lights which resulted in the left wing being unsupported. According to information from the Federal Aviation Administration and the pilot, this was a new aircraft with a total time of 28.5 hours when the accident occurred. The pilot had 24.2 hours in the aircraft with 13.5 hours pilot in command flight experience in this make and model. His previous recent flight experience was in airline transport category aircraft. During landing roll at the completion of a cross country flight, the pilot lost directional control and the tail wheel configured aircraft exited the side of the runway. Wind at the time of the accident was a 5 knot cross wind. The aircraft had 28 hours total time and the pilot had 24 hours in the aircraft. His previous recent flight experience was in airline transport category aircraft. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2001_DEN01LA043.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.