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| Date: | Monday 24 April 2023 |
| Time: | 08:46 |
| Type: |  Maule MXT-7-180 Star Rocket |
| Owner/operator: | TAF Aerial Services LLC |
| Registration: | N4008J |
| MSN: | 14093C |
| Year of manufacture: | 1998 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 12249 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | La Porte Municipal Airport (T41), La Porte, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Aerial patrol |
| Departure airport: | La Porte Municipal Airport, TX (T41) |
| La Porte Municipal Airport, TX (T41) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On April 24, 2023, about 0846 central daylight time, a Maule MXT-7-180 airplane, N4008J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near La Porte, Texas. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial survey flight.
Just after departing from runway 5 on an aerial survey flight, the pilot announced on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency that the engine was running rough and he was returning to the airport. Another pilot flying in the airport traffic pattern reported that the accident airplane appeared too high and fast to land on runway 23; shortly thereafter, the accident pilot transmitted that the engine was producing power and that he was landing on runway 5. The witness saw the accident airplane subsequently enter a left base for runway 5 at low altitude and stated that the airplane appeared slow. The airplane overshot the runway, banked steeply, stalled, and entered a 1/2 turn spin before impacting the ground. Two other pilots who were flying in the area reported similar observations of the accident sequence, and ADS-B track data was consistent with their statements.
The airplane impacted the ground and ground scars were consistent with a nose-low, right wing down attitude. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. Examinations of the airframe, engine, and fuel system did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the development of serious carburetor icing, which was consistent with the pilot’s announcement of a rough running engine. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for an emergency landing following a partial loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and impact with terrain.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for an emergency landing following a partial loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/04/24/small-plane-crash-reported-at-la-porte-municipal-airport/?fbclid=IwAR2H9AQL3lwZPnGiyHyYsnmJvcMprjblZlsY3FF52p8pPxLKFzkisoqMm0o
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=107114
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=4008J
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N4008J
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a4b01a&lat=29.668&lon=-95.070&zoom=16.0&showTrace=2023-04-24
https://www.flickr.com/photos/86225437@N08/49513556513/in/photolist-2irkVjR-2irpHBy-2irkVDJ-VyXRJi-28ZxZoy/ (photo)
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Photo: NTSB
Media:
#BREAKING: Officials are responding to reports of a small plane crash at the La Porte Municipal Airport https://t.co/0vLpwuw2rS
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) April 24, 2023
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Apr-2023 16:24 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 02-May-2023 19:25 | Captain Adam | Updated |
| 15-Feb-2025 05:41 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
| 15-Feb-2025 05:42 | Captain Adam | Updated [Photo, ] |
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