20250624008899A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Maule M-4-220C · Pendleton, OR · June 24, 2025

Date
June 24, 2025 · 13:41 local
Place
Pendleton, OR
Airport
Eastern Oregon Regional At Pendlet
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2051U
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR25LA196
Reported as
Maule M-4-220C
Reported engine
Franklin 6A&6V335 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
269 total67 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

ASOS reporting winds were at 170 at 8 gusting to 18. As stated by the pilot on downwind the tower cleared me to land on runway 26 and reported winds at 200 at 6. The pilot came in on a stable approach with a little extra speed (~75MPH) due to being heavy weight and having gusty winds. The plane had a small amount of unexpected float, then the pilot began the flare and ended up slightly high. The pilot slowly bled off the speed and descended toward the runway. There was a gust/lull that caused me to drop the last 12” or so on the runway. That caused the plane to bounce slightly, but well within what the pilot normally would roll out of without a go-around. On the second impact it bounced again, with slightly less amplitude. It happened again before settling down. Power was off and the yoke all the way back, that is when a strong gust hit from the right side and pushed the plane to the left. It was violent and unexpected. The pilot was able to keep the upwind wing down but was unable to overcome the turning tendency with the rudder. The aircraft was still over 30MPH at that point. With the plane heading toward the left side of the runway, a go-around was not an option anymore and the attempts to recenter the plane were unsuccessful as the tailwheel had come around too FAR and had lost rudder authority. The aircraft went off the runway just before taxiway g into the gravel and the plane turned sideways with the nose facing east. It appeared like the aircraft was going to gently come to a stop, but as we were nearly stopped (<5MPH), the right gear buckled and collapsed. Causing the right wing to impact the ground.

As the FAA filed it

ASOS REPORTING WINDS WERE AT 170 AT 8 GUSTING TO 18. AS STATED BY THE PILOT ON DOWNWIND THE TOWER CLEARED ME TO LAND ON RUNWAY 26 AND REPORTED WINDS AT 200 AT 6. THE PILOT CAME IN ON A STABLE APPROACH WITH A LITTLE EXTRA SPEED (~75MPH) DUE TO BEING HEAVY WEIGHT AND HAVING GUSTY WINDS. THE PLANE HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF UNEXPECTED FLOAT, THEN THE PILOT BEGAN THE FLARE AND ENDED UP SLIGHTLY HIGH. THE PILOT SLOWLY BLED OFF THE SPEED AND DESCENDED TOWARD THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS A GUST/LULL THAT CAUSED ME TO DROP THE LAST 12” OR SO ON THE RUNWAY. THAT CAUSED THE PLANE TO BOUNCE SLIGHTLY, BUT WELL WITHIN WHAT THE PILOT NORMALLY WOULD ROLL OUT OF WITHOUT A GO-AROUND. ON THE SECOND IMPACT IT BOUNCED AGAIN, WITH SLIGHTLY LESS AMPLITUDE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN BEFORE SETTLING DOWN. POWER WAS OFF AND THE YOKE ALL THE WAY BACK, THAT IS WHEN A STRONG GUST HIT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE AND PUSHED THE PLANE TO THE LEFT. IT WAS VIOLENT AND UNEXPECTED. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE UPWIND WING DOWN BUT WAS UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE TURNING TENDENCY WITH THE RUDDER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL OVER 30MPH AT THAT POINT. WITH THE PLANE HEADING TOWARD THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, A GO-AROUND WAS NOT AN OPTION ANYMORE AND THE ATTEMPTS TO RECENTER THE PLANE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AS THE TAILWHEEL HAD COME AROUND TOO FAR AND HAD LOST RUDDER AUTHORITY. THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE RUNWAY JUST BEFORE TAXIWAY G INTO THE GRAVEL AND THE PLANE TURNED SIDEWAYS WITH THE NOSE FACING EAST. IT APPEARED LIKE THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO GENTLY COME TO A STOP, BUT AS WE WERE NEARLY STOPPED (<5MPH), THE RIGHT GEAR BUCKLED AND COLLAPSED. CAUSING THE RIGHT WING TO IMPACT THE GROUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.