Maule MT-7-420 accident near Bend, Oregon, October 8, 2004
On October 8, 2004 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Maule MT-7-420, registered N186SB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bend, Oregon (Bend Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power during takeoff climb for undetermined reasons. Rough terrain was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2004 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bend, Oregon · Bend Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maule MT-7-420 · all MT-7-420s on the register
- Registration
- N186SB · registry record · serial 51001C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot rated passenger reported that the start, taxi, run-up, and initial take-off were normal. The aircraft departed on runway 16 and attained an altitude of 150 to 300 feet above ground level when the engine lost power. The PIC announced that he was landing straight ahead. The aircraft touched down left of the runway edge at the departure end and traveled over rough terrain before nosing over and coming to rest inverted. During post-accident airframe and engine inspections, no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 1,874 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 11, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 75 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 17, 2004; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-B17C (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S07 Bend OR at 9:00 pm
- Destination: Prineville OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,005 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from RDM, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 SEA05FA004.