Maule M-4-220C accident near Englewood, Colorado, May 25, 1997
On May 25, 1997 at about 4:36 pm local time, a Maule M-4-220C, registered N9865M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll. The gusty crosswind condition was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1997 · about 4:36 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-4-220C · all M-4-220Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9865M · registry record · serial 2003C
- 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 he was advised by the control tower that the winds were from 070 degrees at 10 knots, and that this was confirmed by the ATIS. He was cleared to land on runway 35R. The pilot reported that during the landing roll, a gust of wind was encountered, and the airplane ground looped. Also, the pilot said that neither the control tower nor the ATIS transmission made mention of wind gusts. The pilot estimated the wind was gusting an additional 5 to 10 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,030 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 971 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,677 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 26, 1996; 167 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A-350-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4AC Albuquerque NM at 1:55 pm
- Destination: APA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 35R, 10,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:40 pm from APA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW97LA205.