Maule MX-7-235 accident near Heber City, Utah, December 17, 1994
On December 17, 1994 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Maule MX-7-235, registered N101ZA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Heber City, Utah (Heber City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN OPEN CONNECTION CLIP. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A LOCKED TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1994 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · Heber City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MX-7-235 · all MX-7-235s on the register
- Registration
- N101ZA · registry record · serial 10074C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT TRIED TO CORRECT WITH LEFT RUDDER CONTROL; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BANK. THE AIRPLANE TRAVELLED THROUGH THE SNOW FOR SEVERAL MORE FEET BEFORE NOSING OVER. INSPECTION OF THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY REVEALED THAT A CONNECTION CLIP WAS SPRUNG TO THE OPEN POSITION WHICH RESULTED IN THE DISCONNECTION OF THE LEFT SIDE CABLE/SPRING. THIS CABLE/SPRING CONNECTS THE LOWER RUDDER TAIL STEERING HORN ARM AND THE CONTROL ARM ON TOP OF THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 271 hours in all; 141 in this make and model; 251 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 330 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 3, 1994; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-JIA5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 8:30 pm
- Destination: 36U UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from SLC, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA95LA030.