Maule MXT7 accident near Hillsboro, Illinois, July 26, 2020
On July 26, 2020, a Maule MXT7, registered N772TW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hillsboro, Illinois (Justison Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while attempting to avoid a deer during landing, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2020 · cases in 2020
- Place
- Hillsboro, Illinois · Justison Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MXT7 180A · all MXT7s on the register
- Registration
- N772TW · registry record · serial 21075C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he conducted a visual approach to land at a grass airstrip with tall crops adjacent to the runway. As he was landing a deer jumped out of the crops onto the runway. The pilot pulled the nose up to avoid hitting the deer and the airplane stalled. The airplane hit the ground and "flipped" two times, substantially damaging the tail, wings, and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Abrupt maneuver during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Response/compensation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 335 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8.3 in the last 30 days; 311 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 7, 2020
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 983 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 2020
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1LL5 Hillsboro IL
- Destination: 1LL5 Hillsboro IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from 3LF, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N772TW on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Maule MXT-7 135 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Maule 1,346 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming 360 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Justison Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,070 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN20CA308.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.