Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On September 16, 2000, approximately 0900 mountain daylight time, a Maule M-7-235C, N4255P, registered to Colorado Pathology Services, Inc., was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at a private airstrip at Collbran, Colorado. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Grand Junction, Colorado, at 0830.

According to the pilot's accident report, he made two low passes over the east-west runway, one in each direction. The third pass was made to the east at an approach speed of 65 mph, using 40 degrees of flaps. The airplane stalled 4 to 6 feet above, and 100 to 200 feet down, the 900-foot long runway. The airplane contacted the left side of the runway in a 3-point attitude. The left main gear went through tall grass and into a small ditch. Full power was applied in an attempt to abort the landing. The pilot turned the airplane 40 degrees to the right to avoid a juniper tree at the end of the runway, but the left wing struck its branches, damaging the outer one-third of the wing leading edge. The airplane went through a barbed wire fence, across a gravel road, then went through another barbed wire fence before coming to a halt in a field. The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare and roll. Factors were the tree and fences.