N40654

On June 14, 1997, at 1230 hours Pacific daylight time, a Maule M-4-220C, N40654, collided with trees while maneuvering for landing at Ocean Ridge Airport, Gualala, California. The aircraft was destroyed. The private pilot received minor injuries and the sole passenger received serious injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. The personal flight departed Eureka, California, about 1100.

The airport manager told the Safety Board that conditions of low clouds and fog existed at the airport at the time of the accident and the sun was not visible. Trees, which surround the airport, are about 150 feet tall and the tops of the trees were in the bases of the clouds. Visibility was about 1/4 mile. There was an area of blue sky visible north of the airport. The aircraft approached from the north to runway 13 (2,500 feet long, 2,100 feet usable), but overshot the approach and was unable to land. At midfield on runway 13, the pilot applied full engine power and started a go-around. The aircraft pulled up steeply to the right. The airport manager lost sight of the aircraft in the fog, but heard it maneuvering south of the airport until he heard the sound of the impact. The aircraft crashed in tall trees about 200 feet short of runway 31 and about 100 feet to the right of the extended centerline.

In his report to the Safety Board, the pilot reported that fog and clouds were south and west of the airport when he arrived and that he crossed the airport from the north above 600 feet before turning onto left downwind for runway 31. On base leg he realized he was too low and added power but there was "not much" engine response. He added more power with "still not much" response. He reported that he then applied full throttle and the engine responded after "some hesitation" but he was now too low and slow to turn final. He then impacted the trees. The pilot cited slow or no engine response to the throttle as a mechanical malfunction factor in the accident.

The 14-year-old passenger told the Safety Board that it was an uneventful flight until they reached the destination at Ocean Ridge. The pilot told her that he was going to circle the airport to land. In the seconds before the crash, she was waiting to land and looking out the front window. They entered the clouds as they circled the airport and she could only see the ground intermittently. She briefly saw trees, the pilot called "hang on" and then they crashed. She was surprised by the crash because she had no perception that they were in trouble. The time from when they came out of the clouds until they hit the trees was about the time it takes to count to four.

A witness, who was the first person to reach the accident site, told the Safety Board that the fog was "down on the ground," visibility was about 100 feet, and the sky and sun were not visible through the clouds overhead. He heard the plane briefly, then heard it "pour on the power all of a sudden." About 2 seconds later, he heard it hit the trees and then make a "thud" sound, then there was silence. He had trouble locating the aircraft in the fog but encountered the two occupants of the aircraft walking away from it. He went to the wreckage and saw "fuel running everywhere." The plane had stopped in 30 to 40 feet. He reported that he hears lots of departing aircraft and this aircraft's engine sounded "perfect."