Maule MXT-7-180A accident near Red Lodge, Montana, May 12, 2007
On May 12, 2007 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Maule MXT-7-180A, registered N10484, was substantially damaged in an accident near Red Lodge, Montana (Red Lodge 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 inadequate compensation for gusty crosswind conditions and failure to maintain proper runway alignment that resulted in dragging a wing and ground looping. Also causal was the pilot's delayed decision to abort the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2007 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Red Lodge, Montana · Red Lodge Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MXT-7-180A · all MXT-7-180As on the register
- Registration
- N10484 · no longer on the register · serial 21037C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane encountered a crosswind gust, drifted off the runway, dragged a wing, and ground looped during the pilot's attempted landing. The pilot said that while on short final to the active runway, the airplane encountered a wind shear and crosswind gusts. The airplane descended rapidly and the pilot added full engine power in an attempt to abort the landing. The airplane drifted to the right of the runway centerline and he realized that it would not be able to achieve the performance necessary to climb out. The pilot retarded the throttle to idle and elected to land. The right wing contacted uneven terrain adjacent to the runway and the airplane ground looped. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,115 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAR Laramie WY
- Destination: RED Red Lodge MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.