Maule M-7-235 accident near Key Largo, Florida, December 13, 2007
On December 13, 2007 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Maule M-7-235, registered N961PH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key Largo, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of control during the landing. Contributing was the wind gust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2007 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Key Largo, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-7-235 · all M-7-235s on the register
- Registration
- N961PH · no longer on the register · serial 4086C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a float-equipped Maule M-7-235 noted a rain squall in the "immediate area" of his planned water landing. The pilot decided to land 1/2 mile to the northeast, into a northeast wind. Upon touchdown, a wind gust lifted the right wing with more force than the pilot could counteract. The airplane's left float submerged, then separated, along with the strut, from the wing. The airplane spun to the left, and the right wingtip struck the water. The pilot reported about 350 hours of flight time, with 100 hours in model, and 75 to 100 water landings within the previous year.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 486 hours
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Key Largo FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 045° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.