Maule M7 accident near Abayt, SA, May 15, 2018
On May 15, 2018 at about 7:30 am local time, a Maule M7, registered HZNC7, was destroyed in an accident near Abayt. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 4 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2018 · about 7:30 am local time
- Place
- Abayt, Saudi Arabia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Maule M7 235C · all M7s on the register
- Registration
- HZNC7 · no longer on the register · serial 25024C
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The government of Saudi Arabia has notified the NTSB of an accident involving a Maule, M-7-235C, airplane that occurred on May 15, 2018 near Abayt, Saudi Arabia. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the government of Saudi Arabia's investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13.All investigative information will be released by the government of Saudi Arabia.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 540 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OESK Al-Jawf
- Destination: OESK Al-Jawf
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.