Maule MX7 accident near Brazoria, Texas, September 7, 2020
On September 7, 2020 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1993 Maule MX7, registered N897DC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Brazoria, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during a go-around from unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2020 · about 2:30 pm local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Brazoria, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MX7 180A, built 1993 · all MX7s on the register
- Registration
- N897DC · registry record · serial 20012C
- 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 was attempting an off-airport landing in a tailwheel-equipped airplane to a location that he had not previously landed. He stated that just prior to touchdown he realized it was not a suitable landing area and he initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane touched down on soft ground and tall grass, which caused the airplane to sink into the ground and nose over. The right lift strut was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Decision related to condition
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 287 hours in all; 26 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 2, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2020; 6 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVJ Houston TX at 12:30 pm
- Destination: LVJ Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N897DC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N897DC on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Maule MX-7 193 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Maule 1,346 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 1,070 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Pearland Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,986 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N897DC 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN20CA388.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.