Maule MX 7-180C accident near Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, May 16, 2015
On May 16, 2015 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2003 Maule MX 7-180C, registered N567HW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sharps Chapel, Tennessee (Old Valley 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
Collision with an obstacle during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent runway excursion and tree strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2015 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sharps Chapel, Tennessee · Old Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MX 7-180C 180C, built 2003 · all MX 7-180Cs on the register
- Registration
- N567HW · registry record · serial 28019C
- 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 during the landing roll on his first landing to his newly constructed airfield, the airplane's left main wheel came in contact with "something" and bounced in the air. The airplane veered to the left, the left wing tip struck a branch, continued to veer to the left and impacted a tree, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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 (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 274 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 179 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 9, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 809 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-CIF (piston); 814 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3A2 New Tazewell TN at 10:00 pm
- Destination: UNKN Sharps Chapel TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 1,570 ft by 140 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from K1A6, 17 miles away
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 June 30, 2015. 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 | Photo 1 - Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2 - Airplane (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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 N567HW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.