Maule MX7 accident near Valdez, Alaska, August 10, 2018
On August 10, 2018, a Maule MX7, registered N7ZV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Valdez, Alaska. 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 the proper airspeed during landing, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2018
- Place
- Valdez, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MX7 180A · all MX7s on the register
- Registration
- N7ZV · registry record · serial 20018C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he conducted a three-point landing on a sand bar and that the airplane bounced, the right main landing gear struck a rock, and the airplane then nosed over. The pilot added that he landed with "too much speed." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,080 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 912 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 17, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,377 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4F (piston); 1,377 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 02AK Willow AK
- Destination: Valdez AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PAAQ, 58 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 16, 2019. 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 Photo | 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.
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.