Maule MX7 accident near Tampa, Florida, April 25, 2022
On April 25, 2022 at about 3:05 pm local time, a 2000 Maule MX7, registered N4278B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Tampa, Florida (Tampa Executive Airport). 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 directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2022 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Tampa Executive Airport · 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 2000 · all MX7s on the register
- Registration
- N4278B · no longer on the register · serial 20055C
- 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 almost immediately upon touching down with a slight left crosswind the airplane’s left wing dipped and “the ground loop began.” He then added power in an attempt to execute a go-around maneuver but was unable to regain control of the airplane. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway into a ditch resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 902 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 791 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 13, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 653.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 11, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1F (piston); 653 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MUL Moultrie GA at 9:01 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 3,219 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 am from VDF
Weather report (METAR): KVDF 251515Z AUTO 10006KT 10SM BKN035 BKN041 OVC055 28/19 A3017 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 13, 2023. 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 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photographs | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.