NTSB ERA21LA345 — 2021-08-28 · Troy, Alabama, United States

Current FAA registration · N32566

Make / Model: MAULE MXT-7-180
Engine: LYCOMING O-360-C1F (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 5 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20180706
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A3842C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N32566 Maule MXT-7-180 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing which resulted in a collision with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane with no anomalies noted and departed with the intent to practice approaches and landings. After the last practice approach, he set up for a straight in approach with full flaps. He stated that as he approached the runway threshold, “my right wing abruptly rose significantly, and the airplane started to slip to the left”. He applied right rudder and aileron but was unable to correct the airplane’s direction before it struck a tree with the left wing, descended, and came to rest inverted on the edge of the trees. The left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
— Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Effect on equipment

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ERA21LA345.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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