On April 28, 1984, a Maule M-4-220C (registration N40329) was involved in an aviation accident near Vacaville, CA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a sales demonstration flight, the prospective buyer bounced during landing. The owner applied power to recover, but the buyer applied the right brake, causing the aircraft to ground loop into a ditch.
What happened
The flight was conducted for the purpose of a sales demonstration. Both occupants on board were pilots. Two landings were performed by the aircraft owner. The third landing was performed by the prospective buyer and during touchdown the aircraft bounced. The owner applied power to recover. The buyer applied right brake. The aircraft veered off the runway, ground looped and went into a ditch.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances of the flight and the actions taken by the occupants during the landing phase. The mechanical condition of the aircraft was not explicitly detailed in the source text beyond the outcome of the event.
Findings
Contributing factors included the bounced landing during the third attempt, the application of power by the owner to recover, and the simultaneous application of right brake by the buyer. These actions resulted in the aircraft veering off the runway and ground looping into a ditch.