Maule M4-220C accident near Cherryville, North Carolina, June 17, 2014
On June 17, 2014 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1972 Maule M4-220C, registered N535TJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Cherryville, North Carolina (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent main landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2014 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cherryville, North Carolina · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M4-220C, built 1972 · all M4-220Cs on the register
- Registration
- N535TJ · no longer on the register · serial 2092C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing on the private grass strip, the main landing gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the main landing gear assembly revealed that both tubes of the "A" frame assembly on each main landing gear exhibited buckling about mid-length and that both of the main landing gear struts were bent in the positive direction, which is consistent with a hard landing. No corrosion was noted on the mounting hardware, landing gear attachment mounts, or main landing gear structure. No other anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot improperly flared the airplane, which resulted in a hard landing and main landing gear collapse.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 14, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6a-350-c1 (piston); 546 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EHO Shelby NC at 4:00 pm
- Destination: N/A Cherryville NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 1,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from EHO, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 31, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record – FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Observations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - Main Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 - Damaged Landing Gear (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3 - Diagram of Main Landing Gear (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.