Date:	Thursday 23 June 2016
Time:	18:30 LT
Type:	Maule MX-7-160
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N3110J
MSN:	19031C
Year of manufacture:	1994
Engine model:	Lycoming O-360-C4F
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	1.4 nm SW of Meikle Endovie Farm, near Alford, Aberdeenshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Fledmyre Field, Forfar, Angus
Destination airport:	Meikle Endovie Farm, near Alford, Aberdeenshire
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Written off (damaged beyond repair) 23 June 2016 due to a CFIT (Controlled Flight into Terrain) at Guise of Tough, 1.4 nautical miles south-west of Meikle Endovie Farm, near Alford, Aberdeenshire. The two persons on board survived. According to the official AAIB report into the accident:

"The pilot reported that he had planned to fly from a privately operated strip at Fledmyre Field, Forfar, in Angus, to Meikle Eindovie, a location near Alford, Aberdeenshire. He selected Meikle Endovie in the flight planning overlay from the Garmin GPS Map 496 airfield database - it was listed as a microlight/sports airfield site, with its airfield information and coordinates pre-entered in the GPS database - and flew en-route at 3,000 feet to a position indicated on the GPS as being overhead Meikle Endovie.

On arrival, he was not able to identify a landing area, so he descended to a height of 600 feet agl, deployed landing flap and circled the position indicated by the GPS. After three orbits, and still unable to identify the landing area, the pilot was turning to the north when he noticed the VSI indicating a high rate of descent. He applied power and attempted to climb but was not able to clear steeply rising terrain.

The aircraft struck a wall and a fence, flipped inverted and suffered substantial damage. The pilot and passenger, who were both wearing lap straps, with a diagonal shoulder strap, were not injured and were able to evacuate the aircraft through their respective side windows. During the accident, the ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) activated, which alerted the emergency services.

The pilot concluded that the accident was caused by a mountain wave which he had encountered while flying at low level on the lee side of the Grampian Mountains"

Nature of Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Substantial damage, beyond economic repair".

1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/591c335f40f0b63e0b000025/Maule_MX-7-160_N3110J_06-17.pdf
2. FAA: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N3110J
3. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-press-and-journal-aberdeenshire/20160705/281539405278231
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1458287
4. https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/probe-launched-after-plane-crash/
5. https://www.scotsman.com/news/probe-after-pilot-survives-plane-crash-in-aberdeenshire-field-1-4169773
6. http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N3110J.html
7. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n3110j/
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alford,_Aberdeenshire

This Maule MX-7-160 was built in 1994, having already been US registered as N3110J on August 28 2023. As the aircraft was destroyed in a crash on June 23 2016, the US registration N3110J was formally cancelled ("purged") on September 28 2024 (possibly as part of a routine census/clear up of the register)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jun-2017 20:36	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Jun-2017 20:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
10-Jun-2017 20:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
14-Sep-2017 20:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
07-Apr-2024 07:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category]