Maule MX-7 accident near Roche Harbor, Washington, May 11, 2012
On May 11, 2012 at about 9:35 pm local time, a 1985 Maule MX-7, registered N114MK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Roche Harbor, Washington (Roche Harbor airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A damaged brake master cylinder piston rod, which resulted in a landing with the left brake applied. The damage was a result of normal parking brake operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2012 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Roche Harbor, Washington · Roche Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MX-7 235, built 1985 · all MX-7s on the register
- Registration
- N114MK · registry record · serial 10022-C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner was conducting a short personal flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The departure, flight, and approach to the paved 30-ft by 3,593-ft runway were all normal, and the wind was calm. The pilot made a normal and uneventful three-point landing, but immediately after touchdown, the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder and some right brake, but he was unable to keep the airplane on the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, traversed an adjacent grassy area, and struck a drainage ditch about 50 ft from the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left brake master cylinder piston rod was damaged such that it could prevent release of brake pressure. The damage was attributed to normal operation of the parking brake, during which a locking lever formed multiple cuts and ridges in the rod, and, under certain conditions, could prevent the free travel required for release of brake pressure. Although the damage to the piston rod would have been detectable by a detailed inspection, its nature, extent, and location limited its ability to be detected under the scope of a typical annual inspection. In addition, the pilot had not had any previous occurrences of dragging or stuck brakes, which would have warranted a more detailed inspection of the brake system components. Once airborne, the pilot had no way to detect, prevent, or eliminate a locked wheel due to this condition.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Damaged/degraded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,521 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 5, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 2012; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 1,379 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74S Anacortes WA at 9:20 pm
- Destination: WA09 Roche Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 3,593 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from FHR, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
Other NTSB records under N114MK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 WPR12LA207.