Maule MXT7 accident near Quitman, Arkansas, August 11, 2016
On August 11, 2016 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1997 Maule MXT7, registered N1665B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Quitman, Arkansas (Diamond Bluff 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and a nose over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's limited forward visibility due to sun glare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2016 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Quitman, Arkansas · Diamond Bluff · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MXT7 180A, built 1997 · all MXT7s on the register
- Registration
- N1665B · no longer on the register · serial 21029C
- 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 touchdown the airplane bounced and then landed in a flat attitude. The pilot further reported that the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded down the runway and then nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to both wing struts and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,400 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 320 in the last 90 days; 117 in the last 30 days; 3,750 as pilot in command; 380 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 25, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 614 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 21, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4F (piston); 614 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1AR6 Quitman AR at 11:50 am
- Destination: 1AR6 Quitman AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,600 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from KCCA, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 5, 2016. 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 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 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.