Bend Municipal Airport: Bend, Oregon

Airport Location: The Bend Municipal Airport is located 5 miles north east of Bend, Oregon.

Airport History:  The Bend Municipal Airport was developed by a group of Bend citizens as a pilot training site during World War II.

Bend Municipal Airport Today: Helicopter operations; Soaring;

Find Bend Municipal Airport Services and Amenities:  Leading Edge Aviation; Precision Flight, Inc.; Professional Air;  

Special Events: Deschutes River; Golf; High Cascade Lakes; High Desert Museum; Skiing;

The pilot of the glider reported that he was taking a new glider club member for an introductory flight. He stated that the flight was "normal with good lift," and he was never more than 3 miles from the airport. On final approach about 3/4 miles from the runway threshold, the pilot felt the glider sink and noted that he was becoming too low to reach the runway. The terrain off the end of the runway was covered with juniper trees and sagebrush. He turned left to land off airport in the "only open spot." The left wing struck a tree, and the right wingtip then struck the ground. The right wing and the fuselage sustained structural damage. The pilot stated that from an altitude of 1,000 feet above ground level this glider "should be able to fly 3 miles, I lost 800 feet in less than 1/2 mile.
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The pilot was performing an approach to the destination airport in his powered glider. The aircraft touched down and bounced. It then began to veer to the right of the runway centerline. The aircraft then swerved to the left and the pilot could not regain control. The aircraft continued off the runway surface and down an embankment. The main landing gear encountered soft terrain and the aircraft nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine. He noted that winds were calm. When queried as to the cause of the accident, the pilot opined that the aircraft had "too much energy" during the landing sequence.
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The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, the engine began to run rough as she noticed that the propeller rpm was beyond the red line indication and that oil was coming from the forward cowling area behind the propeller. The oil began coating the windscreen and made forward visibility nearly impossible as the pilot initiated an off-airport landing in an adjacent open field. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a barbed wire fence and came to rest on a two-lane highway, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and engine firewall. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was cracked about 380 to 400 degrees around the circumference of the forward bearing journal, originating from the oil-through hole and progressing in a direction opposite of the rotation of the crankshaft. A metallurgical examination of the fracture region revealed that the origin of the fracture was consistent with a brittle
intergranular fracture through the nitride layer and exhibited numerous crack arrest marks. Beyond the fatigue fracture area, the fracture was on a slant plane consistent with overstress separation. The source of the loading that lead to the initial crack formation at the oil through-hole could not be determined. Review of aircraft logbook records revealed that an engine overhaul was completed on May 1, 2006. The most recent annual inspection of the engine and airframe was conducted on May 30, 2008, 252.3 hours since the engine's last major overhaul. Updated at May 6 2009 3:35PM
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While at 9,000 feet, the engine lost oil pressure, suddenly oversped (3,560 rpm), and lost power. The pilot made a dead-stick approach to a nearby runway. During the landing flare the airplane's main landing gear impacted a trench and sheared off just short of the runway. The airplane slid down the runway on its nose gear, main mount struts, and tail. The airplane then veered off to the right and departed the runway. Examination of the engine revealed a 4- to 5-inch diameter hole in the top of the engine case above the No. 3 cylinder. Further examination revealed that the No. 3 connecting rod of the engine had failed due to fatigue just below the wrist pin. The loose end of the connecting rod produced metal shavings that obstructed the oil pickup tube as the crankshaft continued to rotate. The blocked tube led to oil starvation, propeller overspeed, and catastrophic engine failure. Material Laboratory testing revealed that the connecting rod fatigue
fracture was located in a decarburized region of the rod. The engine manufacturer could not identify the connecting rod as a component supplied by them. Updated at Mar 3 2010 12:25PM
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During the landing roll of a full-stop landing, the airplane encountered an unexpected gusting crosswind, and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. After the pilot lost directional control, one of the airplane's wing tips impacted the runway surface. Inspection of the aircraft found no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the control or brake systems.
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The pilot stated he was demonstrating a pinnacle approach and landing during a check ride. He stated the "Angle of approach was too great and too much collective was given which led to a rotor stall." The helicopter subsequently collided with terrain and rolled over resulting in substantial damage.
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After completing five or six successful simulated power-off autorotations, the pilot entered an autorotation in which he allowed the helicopter's descent rate to become excessive. Although he attempted to take corrective action, he did not do so in time to keep the aircraft from contacting an asphalt surface with sufficient force to result in substantial damage to the helicopter's airframe.
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Witnesses observed the airplane impact the water as the pilot maneuvered it at low altitude over the ocean. The weather conditions at the time were clear and sunny. One witness reported that he observed the airplane about 500 feet above ground level in a slightly nose down attitude (about 15 degrees nose low) with the wings "near vertical." As it descended, the "wings fluttered," and the airplane entered a steeper dive. The airplane's "nose went even more vertical," and the airplane accelerated towards the water. It hit nose first, then right wing, and sank immediately. Another witness reported that the airplane went by his position going north, flying parallel to the shoreline. It then made a "real tight, real fast" 180-degree turn and headed south. The airplane was "flying just fine but was real low," maybe 200 to 300 feet above ground level. It "went sideways" so that he could see the top of the airplane and then immediately nose-dived into the ocean.
The wing and nose hit at about the same time, and the airplane sank immediately. A search of the area using boats and a helicopter revealed an oil slick and several small pieces of floating debris. The wreckage of the airplane was not recovered.
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According to the pilot, during the initial takeoff climb from runway 34, he noticed that the "controls felt sluggish compared to normal precise feeling of the gyroplane." He decided to execute a 180 degree turn back to the taxiway parallel to the runway. As soon as he began a shallow turn to the right, the gyroplane entered "a very steep diving spiral turn," and the controls "seemed totally ineffective." The gyroplane continued to descend and turn until it impacted a road running perpendicular to the runway about 50 feet north of the departure end. The pilot reported that the "cause of control malfunction is uncertain."
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The pilot said that he was flying off his Federal Aviation Administration restriction time for new homebuilt airplanes. He said that he forgot to put the landing gear down for the landing. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that both wing spars were bent, and the wings were wrinkled.

The student pilot reported that he departed on a cross-country, solo, instructional flight. The pilot made touch and go landings at two different airports and then began his return to the departure airport. At the beginning of the return leg, the pilot checked his fuel gauges and noted that he believed he "would make it back [to the departure airport] with at least a quarter tank remaining." En route, the pilot checked his fuel gauges again, noted that they were indicating lower than he expected, and decided to divert to a closer airport. Approximately 25 miles from that airport, the pilot became convinced that he did not have enough fuel to reach the airfield. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing before he ran out of fuel. The pilot selected a paved road with trees lining both sides as a landing site, and flew the airplane in a "descending right circle" to observe the area. The airplane touched down on the center of the road, but there was not enough lateral clearance, resulting in the left wing impacting trees that lined the south side of the road. The aircraft veered to the left, the nose gear collapsed, and the aircraft skidded to a stop on the road.

On September 14, 2009, at 0900 Pacific daylight time, a Waco QCF, N11241, ground looped after landing on runway 16 at the Bend Municipal Airport (BDN), Bend, Oregon. Woods Brothers Aviation Inc., operated the airplane under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a cross-country flight. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane sustained structural damage to the lower left wing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from the Ken Jernstedt Airfield (4S2), Hood River, Oregon, about 0730. The flight was ultimately destined for Prescott, Arizona, and no flight plan had been filed. Updated on Oct 15 2009 5:27PM