Maule MT-7-235 accident near Flushing, Michigan, May 26, 2006
On May 26, 2006 at about 1:15 am local time, a Maule MT-7-235, registered N3010Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Flushing, Michigan (Dalton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in the collapse of the amphibian float's nose wheels, and a nose over during the landing roll. Factors associated with the accident were the soft grass runway, and the collapse of the nose wheel fittings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2006 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Flushing, Michigan · Dalton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MT-7-235 · all MT-7-235s on the register
- Registration
- N3010Q · registry record · serial 18014C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amphibian airplane sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during the landing roll on a soft, grass runway with the landing gear in the down position. The pilot reported he decided to land on the grass runway instead of the available asphalt runway because of favorable winds. The landing was normal until about 150 feet into the landing roll. The pilot reported that the small castoring wheels on the amphibian floats sank into the soft ground, and "caused our plane to pole-vault onto its tail." Inspection of the runway revealed that there was about 3/4 inch of standing water on the runway. The left and right landing gear drag braces and the left and right nose wheel castor housings were sent to the Materials Laboratory at the National Transportation Safety Board for inspection. The metallurgical inspection revealed that the fracture surfaces of the weld between the forward end of the struts, and the castor bodies exhibited deformation consistent with overstress with the nose wheel moving aft relative to the strut.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,606 hours in all; 162 in this make and model; 1,606 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 533 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 48D Clare MI at 11:55 pm
- Destination: 3DA Flushing MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 1,330 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 110 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 am from FNT, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.