Maule M-4-220C accident near Vacaville, California, April 28, 1984
On April 28, 1984 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Maule M-4-220C, registered N40329, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vacaville, California (Nut Tree 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1984 · about 9:15 pm local time · cases in 1984
- Place
- Vacaville, California · Nut Tree · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule M-4-220C · all M-4-220Cs on the register
- Registration
- N40329 · registry record · serial 2104C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED FOR A SALES DEMONSTRATION. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE PILOTS. TWO LANDINGS WERE PERFORMED BY THE ACFT OWNER. THE THIRD LANDING WAS PERFORMED BY THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER AND DURING TOUCHDOWN THE ACFT BOUNCED. THE OWNER APPLIED POWER TO RECOVER. THE BUYER APPLIED RIGHT BRAKE. THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY, GROUND LOOPED AND WENT INTO A DITCH.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,987 hours in all; 1 in the last 90 days; 2,570 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 442 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 9, 1983; 3 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: CCR Concord CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 045 Vacaville CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 1, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 20 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:15 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N40329 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Maule M-4 207 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Maule 1,345 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Franklin 6A-350-C1 16 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Buchanan Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,158 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX84LA271.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.