Chiloquin Airport: Chiloquin, Oregon

Chiloquin Airport Today:

Airport location is 1 mile west of Chiloquin, Oregon.

The private pilot reported that shortly after takeoff from runway 35, "the plane settled and would not climb. I believe we were in a downdraft. Thinking we could not clear rising terrain ahead, I turned into the wind." The pilot stated that after turning into the wind the airplane climbed better, but he still felt as if the airplane was in a downdraft. After maneuvering the airplane, the pilot acknowledged that the airplane was going to contact the ground and pulled the yoke full aft "to land uphill." The airplane contacted the ground, encountered heavy brush, and nosed-over resulting in substantial damage. The pilot did not report any pre-accident mechanical anomalies. The pilot reported that the airplane's gross weight at takeoff was 1,989 pounds. He reported that the airplane's maximum gross takeoff weight was 2,000 pounds. The winds were from 320 degrees magnetic at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The temperature was 50 degrees F and the airport
elevation was 4,217 feet above mean sea level (msl).
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The pilot said immediately after touchdown on runway 35, the tailwheel started oscillating. It continued to oscillate on rollout until the airplane's speed dropped to about 20 mph when suddenly the airplane veered to the right. Subsequently the left main landing gear collapsed, bending the outboard 5 to 6 feet of the wing up. He said that inspection of the tailwheel assembly revealed that the left chain to the tailwheel steering assembly had failed.
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Witnesses observed the airplane departing to the south. One witness reported seeing the airplane about 20 feet above the ground when it pulled up steeply, banked hard to the left, and then continued to turn and went straight into the ground. Other witnesses said that just after the airplane took off and was approximately 200 to 300 feet above the ground, it nosed down and impacted terrain. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the airplane which would have precluded normal operations.